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ETU 

Our  Little  Eskimo  Cousin 


THE 

Little  Cousin  Series 

(trade  mark) 

Each  volume  illustrated  with  six  or  more  full-page  plates  in 

tint.     Cloth,  i2mo,  -with  decorative  cover, 

per  volume,  60  cents 

LIST   OF   TITLES 

By  Mary  Hazelton  Wade 

(unless  otherwise  indicated) 


Our  Little  African  Cousin 
Our  Little  Alaskan  Cousin 

By  Mary  F.  Nixon-Roulet 

Our  Little  Arabian  Cousin 

By  Blanche  McManus 

Our  Little  Armenian  Cousin 
Our  Little  Australian  Cousin 

By  Mary  F.  Nixon-Roulet 
Our  Little  Brazilian  Cousin 

By  Mary  F.  Nixon-Roulet 

Our  Little  Brown  Cousin 
Our  Little  Canadian  Cousin 

By  Elizabeth  R.  MacDonald 

Our  Little  Chinese  Cousin 

By  Isaac  Taylor  Headland 

Our  Little  Cuban  Cousin 
Our  Little  Dutch  Cousin 

By  Blanche  McManus 

Our  Little  Egyptian  Cousin 

By  Blanche  McManus 

Our  Little  English  Cousin 

By  Blanche  McManus 

Our  Little  Eskimo  Cousin 
Our  Little  French  Cousin 

By  Blanche  McManus 

Our  Little  German  Cousin 
Our  Little  Greek  Cousin 

By  Mary  F.  Nixon-Roulet 

L.  C.  PAGE 

New  England  Building, 


Our  Little  Hawaiian  Cousin 
Our  Little  Hindu  Cousin 

By  Blanche  McManus 
Our  Little  Hungarian  Cousin 
By  Mary  F.  Nixon-Roulet 
Our  Little  Indian  Cousin 
Our  Little  Irish  Cousin 
Our  Little  Italian  Cousin 
Our  Little  Japanese  Cousin 
Our  Little  Jewish  Cousin 
Our  Little  Korean  Cousin 

By  H.  Lee  M.  Pike 
Our  Little  Mexican  Cousin 

By  Edward  C.  Butler 
Our  Little  Norwegian  Cousin 
Our  Little  Panama  Cousin 

By  H.  Lee  M.  Pike 
Our  Little  Persian  Cousin 

By  E.  C.  Shedd 
Our  Little  Philippine  Cousin 
Our  Little  Porto  Rican  Cousin 
Our  Little  Russian  Cousin 
Our  Little  Scotch  Cousin 

By  Blanche  McManus 
Our  Little  Siamese  Cousin 
Our  Little  Spanish  Cousin 

By  Mary  F.  Nixon-Roulet 
Our  Little  Swedish  Cousin 

By  Claire  M.  Coburn 
Our  Little  Swiss  Cousin 
Our  Little  Turkish  Cousin 

£r    COMPANY 

Boston,  Mass. 


; 


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M  ■ 


ETU  I 

* 

Our  Little  Eskimo  Cousin  % 


* 


By 

Mary  Hazelton  Wade 


Illustrated  by 

L.  J.  Bridgman 


4   5/v  o^ 


"* 


v  Boston 

^  L.  C.  Page   df  Company 

4*  PUBLISHERS 


Copyright,  iQ02 
L.  C.  Page  &  Company 

(incorporated) 


All  rights  reserved 


Published,  June.  1902 


Ninth    Impression,    April,    1909 
Tenth  Impression,  March,   1910 


Preface 

It  is  a  very  wonderful  thing,  when  we  stop 
to  think  of  it,  that  no  matter  where  we  are 
placed  in  this  great  round  world  of  ours,  it 
seems  just  right  to  us. 

Far  away  in  the  frozen  north,  where  the 
lovely  aurora  borealis  dances  in  the  sky,  where 
the  long  sunless  winter  night  stretches  half- 
way across  the  year,  live  a  people  who  cannot 
keep  themselves  alive  without  working  very 
hard.  Yet  they  are  happy  and  fun-loving. 
They  make  pleasures  for  themselves.  They 
are  patient  and  joyous  in  the  midst  of  darkness 
and  storm.  They  do  not  think  of  complaining 
at  their  hard  lot,  or  that  they  do  not  live 
where  Nature  is  kinder  and  more  generous. 


VI 


Preface 


We  call  them  Eskimos.  They  belong  to 
another  race  than  ours,  —  a  different  branch 
of  the  great  human  family.  They  are  yellow 
and  we  are  white,  to  be  sure.  But  we  know 
that,  no  matter  how  far  away  any  race  of  peo- 
ple lives,  and  no  matter  how  different  these 
people  may  be  from  us  in  looks  and  habits, 
they  and  we  belong  to  the  same  great  family. 
It  includes  every  race  and  every  colour,  for  we 
are  the  children  of  one  Father. 

What  a  pleasure  it  is,  therefore,  to  travel 
from  place  to  place  and  see  more  of  the  life 
of  others  !  But  suppose  we  cannot  journey 
with  our  bodies ;  we  need  not  stay  at  home 
on  that  account.  Let  us  use  the  wings  of  the 
mind,  and  without  trouble  or  expense  visit 
the  hot  lands  and  the  cold,  the  yellow  children 
and  the  red.  Let  us  know  them  and  learn 
what  they  can  teach  us. 


Contents 


CHAPTER 

PAGE 

I. 

Baby  Days o 

II. 

Mother  and  Child    . 

18 

III. 

Play -Days. 

28 

IV. 

Dog  Team  and  Sledge 

38 

V. 

Kayak  and  Harpoon 

49 

VI. 

The  Seal  Hunt. 

63 

VII. 

Feast  and  Fun  . 

74 

VIII. 

Hard  Times 

80 

IX. 

An  Eskimo  Christmas 

9i 

X. 

Summer  Travels 

97 

List  of  Illustrations 


Etu  .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .        Frotitispiece 

"  He  who  hits  the  greatest  number  wins  the 

game"        .        .        .        .        .        .        .  31 

"Etu  had  become  quite  skilful"  .  .  -41 
"  Whizz  !    sounds    the    harpoon   as   it    speeds 

from  etu's  shoulder  " 67 

"  Etu  stopped  moving  and  lay  quite  still  "  .  89 
"The  blocks  of  snow  were  handed  to  them"      98 


ETU 

Our  Little  Eskimo  Cousin 


CHAPTER  I. 


BABY    DAYS. 


A  pair  of  very  bright  black  eyes  peered  out 
from  the  mother's  hood  that  winter  morning. 
The  thermometer,  if  there  had  been  one,  would 
have  shown  the  temperature  to  be  seventy 
degrees  below  the  freezing  point. 

Yet  baby  Etu  did  not  seem  to  care.  He 
was  nestled  so  warmly  in  the  heavy  furs,  and 
felt  so  safe  on  his  mother's  broad  back,  that 
he  laughed  and  crowed  in  pure  delight. 

It  was  his  first  ride  since  he  was  born,  and 
there  was  so  much  to  look  at !     At  least  he 

9 


io      Our  Little  Eskimo  Cousin 

thought  so,  though  great  sheets  of  snow 
stretched  outward  to  the  frozen  ocean,  and 
covered  the  land  in  every  direction.  The 
twinkling  stars  gave  the  only  light  for  Etu 
to  see  by,  yet  it  was  daytime.  It  was  that 
part  of  the  twenty-four  hours  when  the  baby's 
people  did  their  work ;  and  that  must  be 
called  day  in  Etu's  far  northern  country,  even 
though  darkness  covers  all  the  land. 

For  Etu  lives  in  the  frozen  zone,  on  the 
shores  of  northern  Alaska,  and  during  the 
long  winter  of  eight  months  the  sun  shows 
his  face  very  little  above  the  horizon. 

Here  and  there  the  snow  looked  as  if  it 
had  been  raised  into  low  mounds.  Near 
these  mounds  holes  could  be  seen  in  the 
ground,  and  pathways  dug  out  between  them. 
There  were  no  trees,  no  fences,  no  roads. 

Where  was  the  village,  and  where  was  the 
baby's  home?  Those  holes  marked  the  en- 
trances to  the  winter  houses  built  by   Etu's 


Baby  Days  II 

father  and  his  neighbours.  The  mounds  were 
the  coverings  of  the  houses.  Great  pits  had 
been  dug  in  the  earth,  and  lined  with  drift- 
wood which  had  floated  on  to  the  shore. 
Jaws  of  whales  made  the  framework  of  the 
roofs,  these  being  covered  with  sods  cut  out 
of  the  marshy  plains  in  summer.  Mother 
Nature  did  the  rest  by  protecting  all  with  a 
warm  close  blanket  of  snow. 

At  first  it  makes  one  shudder  to  think  of 
living  in  such  homes  during  the  long  Arctic 
winter.  But  the  Eskimos  are  satisfied,  and 
feel  so  comfortable  that  they  remove  a  great 
part  of  their  clothing  while  they  are  indoors. 
The  houses  are  made  so  snug  that  the  sharp- 
est winds  cannot  enter,  and  they  cost  nothing 
but  the  labour  of  making  them. 

Etu's  mother  allowed  him  to  stay  out  only 
a  few  minutes  this  first  time.  She  soon  turned 
toward  home,  and  coming  to  her  own  doorway 
crawled  down  through  a  long  slanting  tunnel 


12      Our  Little  Eskimo  Cousin 

in  the  ground,  eight  or  ten  feet  long.  When 
she  reached  the  end,  she  was  obliged  to  stoop 
even  lower,  for  now  she  must  pass  upwards 
through  another  passage.  Lifting  a  trap-door, 
she  stepped  at  once  into  the  middle  of  her 
own  home. 

Why  was  there  such  a  queer  entrance  ?  Be- 
cause the  wind  must  be  kept  out  at  all  haz- 
ards. After  all,  it  seemed  easy  and  natural 
enough  to  this  woman  who  had  never  known 
other  and  pleasanter  hallways. 

How  close  it  seemed  after  the  fresh  cold  air 
outdoors  !  There  was  a  strong  odour  of  smok- 
ing oil.  It  was  noisy,  too,  as  other  women 
and  children  were  moving  around  inside,  for 
the  house  was  shared  in  common  by  several 
families  who  were  friendly  to  each  other,  and 
enjoyed  living  together. 

Etu's  mother  quickly  took  off  her  outer 
coat  of  sealskin,  and,  lifting  her  baby  out  of 
his  warm  nest,  placed  him  on  a  platform  which 


Baby  Days  13 

stretched  along  one  side  of  the  room.  What 
a  round,  smiling  dumpling  he  was  !  His  face 
was  broad  and  flat,  while  his  little  nose  looked 
as  though  it  had  been  punched  inwards.  His 
bright  eyes  were  quite  narrow. 

He  wore  a  curious  skin  cap  drawn  tightly 
over  the  top  of  his  head.  He  must  keep 
this  on  night  and  day  for  a  year,  at  least. 
It  would  make  his  forehead  taper  upward, 
and  that  is  a  mark  of  beauty  among  his 
people.  As  soon  as  he  was  born,  the  top 
of  his  head  was  pressed  between  his  nurse's 
hands,  and  the  cap  fitted  on  at  once  so  that 
his  head  might  grow  in  the  proper  shape. 
After  that  operation  he  was  taken  outdoors, 
and  rolled  in  the  snow.  I  suppose  that  was 
to  get  him  used  to  the  cold  climate  of  his 
birthplace.     Don't  you  ? 

Baby  Etu's  skin  was  much  whiter  than  his 
mother's,  —  very  nearly  as  white,  in  fact,  as 
your  own  little  brother's.   Why  has  he  changed 


14      Our  Little  Eskimo  Cousin 

so  much  since  he  has  grown  to  be  a  big  boy  ? 
Listen  to  the  strange  reason. 

When  our  Eskimo  cousin  was  born,  there 
was  a  small  dark  spot  on  his  back.  Day  by 
day  it  grew  larger;  the  change  came  very 
slowly,  so  slowly  it  could  scarcely  be  noticed. 
But  at  last  the  darker  colour  had  spread  over 
the  boy's  whole  body,  till  his  skin  was  nearly 
like  that  of  his  father  and  mother. 

In  course  of  time  it  would  grow  darker  still, 
because  he  did  not  wash  himself.  Please  don't 
be  shocked.  It  \s  so  hard  to  get  water  in  that 
frozen  land.  Snow  must  first  be  melted,  and 
to  do  this  heat  is  required.  Heating  requires 
the  burning  of  oil,  and  oil  is  very  precious. 
It  is  scarcely  any  wonder,  therefore,  that  Etu 
has  not  been  taught  to  be  cleanly  in  all  ways. 

The  smoky  air  of  the  home  during  the  long 
winter  months  also  made  the  boy's  skin  grow 
darker.  Sometimes  during  his  babyhood  his 
mother  would  wash  him  as  a  mother  cat  washes 


Baby  Days  15 

her  kittens,  but  that  was  all  he  has  ever  known 
of  the  delights  of  a  bath.  The  mother-love 
made  that  pleasant,  perhaps,  but  we  cannot 
envy  him. 

It  was  quite  surprising  to  an  Arctic  explorer 
some  years  ago,  when  he  discovered  the  differ- 
ence soap  and  warm  water  would  make  in  an 
Eskimo's  appearance. 

"  Why,  you  are  almost  a  white  man,"  he 
exclaimed,  "  your  friends  will  think  you  have 
been  changed  into  another  being  by  some 
magical  spell."  And  he  laughed  heartily  when 
he  thought  of  the  only  magic  being  soap  and 
water. 

Etu  tumbled  about  on  the  sealskins  which 
covered  the  platform,  watching  his  mother 
while  she  trimmed  the  wick  of  the  lamp. 
What  an  odd-looking  lamp  it  was  !  It  was 
made  of  a  crescent-shaped  stone  hollowed  out. 
Think  of  the  labour  of  making  it !  It  must 
have  taken  days,  and  even  weeks,  before  the 


16      Our  Little  Eskimo  Cousin 

cavity  was  hollowed  enough  to  hold  the  oil. 
But  Etu's  people  are  such  patient  workers 
they  do  not  worry  over  the  time  they  spend. 

Moss  was  built  up  around  the  sides  of  the 
lamp ;  it  served  for  the  wick  which  spluttered 
away  as  the  oil  burned  and  warmed  the  room. 
A  lump  of  seal  fat,  or  blubber  as  it  is  called, 
hung  over  the  lamp.  As  it  melted  slowly  in 
the  heat,  it  dripped  down  into  the  cavity  and 
furnished  a  steady  supply  of  oil. 

There  were  two  other  lamps  burning  in 
Etu's  home,  for  you  must  remember  there  was 
a  very  large  family  living  here.  And  these 
queer  lamps  not  only  gave  light  and  warmth 
to  all  these  people,  but  the  cooking  must  also 
be  done  over  them. 

Etu  watched  the  light  with  blinking  eyes 
for  a  few  moments,  and  then  fell  fast  asleep. 
Only  think  of  it,  he  was  nearly  naked  !  There 
was  no  covering  on  his  tiny  body  except 
a  short  skirt  of  fur,  —  his  arms  and  legs  were 


Baby  Days  17 

quite  bare,  yet  his  loving  mother  did  not  hurry 
to  cover  him  over.  He  must  get  used  to  cold 
while  he  was  still  small,  so  that  when  he  grew 
older  he  could  bear  exposure  better. 


CHAPTER   II. 


MOTHER    AND    CHILD. 


The  mother  was  proud  that  this  first  baby- 
was  a  boy.  She  liked  to  dream  of  what  a 
great  hunter  he  would  become.  In  a  few  years 
he  would  do  his  part  to  keep  the  wolf  from 
the  door,  in  more  senses  than  one.  He  would 
bring  home  the  seal,  the  walrus,  now  growing 
so  scarce,  the  grim  white  bear,  and  make  many 
a  feast  for  his  people.  Oh,  no,  girls  could 
never  do  such  things  as  these  !  She  was  a 
happy  woman,  indeed. 

This  Eskimo  mother  had  a  pleasant,  sunny 
face,  even  though  the  chin  was  tattooed  with 
three  long  lines  from  the  mouth  downwards. 
She  firmly  believed  that  it  would  be  looked 
upon  as  a  sign  of  goodness,  when  she  reached 

iS 


Mother  and  Child  19 

the  next  world.  It  might  help  in  bringing  her 
to  heaven. 

The  work  was  done  by  her  own  hands  and 
must  have  been  quite  painful.  The  sinew  of  a 
reindeer  furnished  the  thread  which  she  black- 
ened with  soot.  Fastening  it  in  her  bone 
needle,  she  drew  it  under  and  through  the  skin 
till  the  lines  were  plainly  marked.  They  would 
stay  that  way  as  long  as  she  lived. 

She  bustled  about  at  her  work  without  fuss 
or  hurry.  More  than  once  the  children  play- 
ing in  the  room  got  in  her  way,  but  she  did 
not  scold  nor  even  look  cross.  Now  and  then 
a  hungry  -  looking  dog  poked  his  head  up 
through  the  doorway,  only  to  be  chased  out 
of  sight  again  when  discovered.  As  she 
worked  she  joined  in  the  laughter  and  talk 
of  the  women. 

Hark !  the  sound  of  many  feet  could  be 
heard,  and  the  women  and  children  stopped 
their  chatter  to  welcome  the  men  of  the  house- 


20      Our  Little  Eskimo  Cousin 

hold,  who  had  been  away  on  a  bear  hunt  for 
many  hours. 

"What  luck?  What  luck?"  all  said  at 
once,  but  there  was  no  story  of  brave  fight- 
ing to  tell  this  night ;  the  long  march  over 
the  icy  plains  had  met  with  no  reward.  But 
there  was  no  danger  of  starving  at  present, 
for  great  dishes  of  smoking  seal  soup  stood 
ready  for  the  hunters. 

In  a  few  minutes  all  the  household  were 
squatting  on  the  floor  around  the  bowls. 
They  ate  the  delicious  supper  to  their  hearts' 
content ;  and  how  they  did  eat !  It  seemed 
as  though  their  stomachs  must  be  made  of 
elastic,  for  otherwise  how  were  they  able  to 
stow  away  such  immense  quantities  of  the 
rich,  fatty  food  ? 

With  Etu's  people  it  is  either  a  feast  or 
a  famine  all  the  time.  They  have  no  regular 
time  to  eat,  no  such  thing  as  breakfast,  dinner, 
and  supper.     If  there   is  a  good  supply  of 


Mother  and  Child  21 

food  on  hand,  they  will  keep  on  eating  hour 
after  hour  in  a  way  to  fill  other  people  with 
wonder.  But  if  there  is  nothing  in  the  larder 
they  are  able  to  go  several  days  without 
eating;  yet  they  seem  to  keep  well  and 
strong. 

All  were  satisfied  at  last,  and  baby  Etu 
waked  up  in  time  to  be  held  and  petted  for 
a  while  before  bedtime. 

His  mother  did  not  have  any  dishes  to 
wash,  but  before  she  could  settle  herself  for 
the  night  she  had  to  arrange  a  net  over  the 
seal-oil  lamp,  and  spread  her  husband's  wet 
clothing  in  it  to  dry.  She  must  rouse  herself 
during  the  night  to  watch  and  turn  it  from 
time  to  time,  for  that  is  a  woman's  work,  she 
has  been  taught. 

But  where  were  all  these  people  going  to 
stow  themselves  for  sleeping  ?  There  was  no 
sign  of  a  bed  in  the  whole  house.  That  ques- 
tion was  easily  settled,  for  a  portion   of  the 


22      Our  Little  Eskimo  Cousin 

platform  was  set  aside  for  each  family.  They 
arranged  their  fur  rugs  upon  it,  and  crept  in 
side  by  side.  Then,  taking  off  all  their  cloth- 
ing, they  buried  themselves  under  the  warm 
covers.  First  in  order  lay  the  father  of  a 
family,  next  came  the  mother,  and  close  to  her 
the  youngest  child  was  always  nestled. 

Baby  Etu  slept,  warm  and  safe,  that  night 
and  many  afterward.  Not  once  during  the 
long  winter  did  he  cry  from  colic. 

As  soon  as  he  was  able  to  sit  up  alone 
his  mother  gave  him  lessons  in  what  he 
needed  most,  —  strength  of  body,  and  ease 
in  moving  every  muscle.  She  would  sit  on 
the  floor  or  platform  and  stretch  out  her  legs 
in  front  of  her.  Then  she  would  brace  Etu 
against  her  feet,  and,  holding  his  hands,  would 
bend  his  arms  in  every  possible  direction. 
Now  they  must  be  stretched  upwards,  now 
to  the  right,  the  left,  behind  him,  and  so  on- 
This  would  make  him  agile  in  hunting. 


Mother  and  Child  23 

As  soon  as  the  baby  could  walk  he  began 
to  have  other  exercises  for  his  legs,  for  he 
must  make  a  good  runner  and  dancer,  also. 

As  soon  as  Etu  began  to  take  more  notice 
of  those  around  him,  he  received  many  pres- 
ents of  toys.  There  were  animals  carved  out 
of  ivory,  —  tiny  whales  and  walruses,  baby 
seals  and  reindeer.  He  could  not  break  them 
easily.  They  were  fine  things  to  press  against 
his  aching  gums  when  the  first  teeth  pushed 
themselves  into  sight.  If  he  had  been  a  girl 
he  would  have  had  an  ivory  doll,  with  a  little 
dress  of  mouse  skin,  but,  of  course,  a  boy 
would  not  care  for  such  a  plaything.  It  was 
not  to  be  thought  of. 

Soon  the  time  came  for  his  first  suit  of 
clothes,  and,  oh,  how  many  days  of  patient 
work  his  mamma  spent  on  those  little  gar- 
ments ! 

In  the  first  place,  there  must  be  some  long 
stockings  of  reindeer  skin,  so  made  that  the 


24      Our  Little  Eskimo  Cousin 

hairy  side  lay  next  his  body.  After  that  came 
socks  of  the  skin  taken  from  eider-ducks. 
And  outside  of  all  he  must  wear  stout  boots 
of  sealskin  with  soles  of  thick  whale  hide.  He 
must  draw  these  up  to  his  hips  over  his  two 
pairs  of  deerskin  trousers,  just  as  his  father 
and  mother  themselves  did.  His  jacket  was 
made  of  reindeer  skin,  with  a  warm  hood 
fastened  to  it  to  draw  over  his  head  while 
outdoors  in  the  searching  winds.  It  had  no 
buttons  either  before  or  behind,  but  fitted 
quite  loosely. 

Some  one  asks  :  "  How  did  he  get  into  this 
garment,  since  there  were  no  openings  except 
for  the  neck  and  sleeves  ? "  He  slipped  it 
down  over  his  head,  as  American  boys  put 
on  their  jerseys.  The  skin  had  been  tanned 
and  stretched  and  softened  so  beautifully  by 
his  mother  that  it  was  quite  easy  to  do  this. 

The  baby's  jacket  was  shaped  round  ex- 
actly like  his  father's,  while  his  mother's  had 


Mother  and  Child  25 

a  long  pointed  tail  both  in  front  and  behind. 
Besides  this  difference,  her  own  jacket  is  al- 
ways trimmed  with  a  fringe  of  coloured  beads 
bought  of  the  traders.  This  fringe  reaches 
around  the  neck,  and  also  around  both  of  the 
tails.  It  is  very  beautiful,  her  neighbours  all 
declare. 

It  seems  quite  wonderful  to  us  that  Etu's 
boots  could  be  perfectly  water-tight,  although 
they  were  home-made.  This  Eskimo  mother 
is  such  a  fine  seamstress  with  her  coarse  needle 
and  thread,  that  a  drop  of  water  cannot  enter 
the  skin  boots  after  her  work  is  done. 

When  his  first  suit  was  entirely  finished, 
and  Etu  was  dressed,  he  was  ready  for  the 
coldest  weather.  As  soon  as  he  could  walk 
easily,  he  had  no  more  need  to  ride  in  the 
warm  hood  on  his  mother's  back.  There 
were  times  before  this,  however,  when  he  cried 
with  the  cold  even  in  that  snug  place,  and  his 
mother  had  been  obliged  to  stop  in  her  walk, 


26      Our  Little  Eskimo  Cousin 

loosen  her  jacket,  and  slip  the  baby  inside  of 
all  her  clothing  next  to  her  own  warm  body. 
After  that  the  crying  would  stop,  and  Etu 
would  coo  softly  as  the  two  went  on  their 
way. 

How  many  things  had  to  be  done  before 
the  baby's  suit  was  finished !  In  the  first 
place,  his  papa  must  kill  the  animals  which 
furnished  the  warm  skins.  But  when  that  was 
done,  his  work  was  over.  It  was  his  wife's 
turn  now.  She  removed  the  skins  from  the 
dead  reindeer  and  seal,  and  stretched  them  out 
to  dry,  with  the  hairy  side  toward  the  earth. 

After  a  few  days  they  were  ready  for  her  to 
begin  the  hardest  part  of  the  task.  They 
must  be  scraped  with  a  sharp  knife  until  every 
atom  of  flesh  should  be  removed,  as  well  as 
the  inner  tough  skin.  Now  they  were  flexible 
enough  for  all  the  clothing  except  the  stock- 
ings, and  these  must  be  very  soft  indeed  for 
the  tender  baby  feet.     A  piece  of  the  skin  of  a 


Mother  and  Child  27 

baby  deer  was  chosen  by  the  careful  mother, 
who  next  proceeded  to  chew  it,  inch  by  inch. 
Her  teeth  were  beautifully  white  and  sharp, 
but  the  work  was  done  so  carefully  that  no 
hole,  nor  even  mark,  could  be  seen  in  the  skin 
when  it  was  finished. 

She  was  ready  now  to  cut  out  the  various 
garments  with  her  odd  scissors,  —  but,  after 
all,  it  is  wrong  to  call  the  queer  knife  she 
uses  by  the  name  of  scissors.  She  speaks  of 
it  as  an  "  oodlo,"  and  it  is  useful  in  so  many 
ways,  she  really  could  not  keep  house  without 
it.  It  is  shaped  much  like  your  mother's 
meat-chopper.  It  is  made  of  bone  edged  with 
iron,  and  when  Etu's  mother  cuts  with  it,  she 
moves  it  away  from  her  in  a  way  which  looks 
very  awkward  to  us.  It  not  only  takes  the 
place  of  scissors,  but  is  the  hatchet,  the  knife, 
and  also  scraper  with  which  the  flesh  is  re- 
moved from  the  skins. 


CHAPTER    III. 


PLAY-DAYS. 


Month  after  month  passed  by  with  baby 
Etu.  The  little  round  ball  grew  into  a  sturdy 
boy,  who  delighted  in  rough  plays  outdoors,  as 
well  as  many  indoor  games,  when  the  storms 
raged  too  greatly  for  him  to  leave  the  house. 

His  mother  never  refused  him  anything 
possible  to  get.  He  was  never  scolded  or 
punished,  so  it  is  no  wonder  he  grew  up  kind 
and  honest  and  truthful.  And  laugh?  Why, 
you  can't  imagine  how  many  things  there  are 
for  Eskimo  children  to  laugh  about.  In  that 
cold  and  dreary  land  one  would  expect  to  see 
long  faces,  and  hear  people  constantly  groan- 
ing and  complaining ;  but,  instead  of  that, 
these  people  of  the  far  north  may  be  said  to 

38 


Play  -  Days  29 

be  ever  "on  the  grin,"  as  travellers  there  have 
often  expressed  it. 

And  Etu  was  like  the  rest  of  his  people. 
He  was  always  finding  some  new  source  of 
fun  and  pleasure.  When  he  was  still  a  tiny- 
baby,  left  to  amuse  himself  on  the  platform 
inside  the  house,  he  would  watch  for  the  dogs 
to  appear  in  the  passageway,  and  throw  his 
ivory  toys  at  them.  Then  he  would  laugh 
and  shake  his  sides  as  they  dodged  the  play- 
things and  scampered  away. 

Sometimes  one  of  the  older  children  would 
bring  him  a  ball  of  snow  or  ice  and  teach  him 
to  kick  it  into  the  air  again  and  again,  without 
touching  it  with  his  hands,  yet  keeping  it  in 
motion  all  the  time. 

When  he  grew  older  and  braver  he  allowed 
himself  to  be  tossed  up  in  the  air  in  a  blanket 
of  walrus  hide.  He  must  keep  on  his  feet 
all  the  time,  and  not  tumble  about  in  the 
blanket.      After  awhile   he  could   go    almosf 


30      Our  Little  Eskimo  Cousin 

to  the  roof  and  back  again,  holding  himself 
as  straight  as  a  little  soldier. 

Of  course  he  slid  down-hill  and  had  any 
amount  of  sport,  but  the  sled  was  generally 
the  seat  of  his  own  deerskin  trousers.  He 
and  his  playmates  liked  to  start  from  the  top 
of  an  icy  hill,  and  vie  with  each  other  in 
reaching  the  foot. 

Sometimes  the  little  fellows  would  double 
themselves  up  so  they  looked  like  balls  of  fur, 
then  down  the  hill  they  would  roll,  over  and 
over,  one  after  another.  And  when  they  reached 
the  bottom  and  jumped  upon  their  feet,  what  a 
shouting  there  would  be  as  they  shook  them- 
selves and  brushed  off  the  snow  ! 

Now  that  Etu  is  a  big  boy,  he  plays  still 
another  game  on  the  snowy  hillsides.  His 
father  has  killed  a  great  number  of  reindeer, 
and  the  boy  is  allowed  to  have  all  the  antlers 
he  wishes.  When  the  boys  want  to  play  the 
reindeer  game,  as  we  may  call  it,  they  set  up 


"  HE   WHO    HITS    THE    GREATEST    NUMBER    WINS    THE    GAME  " 


Play -Days  31 

the  antlers  in  the  snow,  a  short  distance  apart 
from  each  other.  Then  they  climb  the  hill 
again,  and,  seating  themselves  on  their  sleds, 
slide  down  past  the  antlers.  They  must  steer 
clear  of  them  and  reach  the  foot  without  run- 
ning into  a  single  one.  At  least,  that  is  the 
game,  and  the  ones  who  do  so  successfully  are 
the  winners. 

But  what  kind  of  a  sled  do  you  think  Etu 
uses  ?  It  is  simply  a  cake  of  ice  ;  if  you  stop 
to  think  a  moment,  you  can  imagine  how 
swiftly  and  smoothly  it  travels  along. 

There  is  a  still  different  game  of  reindeer- 
hunting  which  requires  more  skill. 

This  time  Etu  and  his  playfellows  arm  them- 
selves with  bows  and  arrows.  As  they  coast 
rapidly  past  the  reindeer  antlers,  they  shoot  at 
them  and  try  to  leave  their  arrows  fixed  in  as 
many  as  possible.  Of  course,  he  who  hits  the 
greatest  number  wins  the  game.  This  is  ex- 
citing  sport  indeed,  and    Etu  will   go  home 


32      Our  Little  Eskimo  Cousin 

afterward  ready  to  eat  such  a  quantity  of 
frozen  seal  blubber  as  to  make  the  eyes 
of  any  one  but  an  Eskimo  open  wide  with 
wonder. 

Eskimo,  I  just  said ;  but  Etu  does  not  call 
himself  by  that  name.  He  will  tell  you  that 
he  is  one  of  the  Innuits,  as  his  father  has 
taught  him.  The  word  "  Innuit "  means 
"  people." 

Etu's  mother  has  told  him  of  an  old,  old 
legend  of  her  race,  about  the  creation  of  the 
world.  At  first  human  beings  were  made 
white,  but  they  were  not  worthy  of  their 
Maker.  Then  others  were  created  who  were 
the  true  people,  or  the  Innuits. 

The  word  Eskimo  means  "  eater  of  raw  fish." 
It  was  given  to  these  natives  of  the  far  north 
by  the  travellers  who  came  among  them  and 
observed  their  queer  ways  of  living  and  eating. 

"  Raw  meat !  Raw  fish  !  "  they  exclaimed 
among  themselves.     "  These  are  indeed  queer 


Play  -  Days  33 

people  who  enjoy  such  food  in  a  freezing 
climate." 

So  it  came  about  that  they  spoke  of  them 
as  Eskimos,  and  the  name  has  clung  to  Etu's 
people  ever  since. 

The  boy  remembers  well  his  first  candy. 
He  had  been  ill,  but  was  getting  strong  once 
more.  His  good  patient  mother  wished  to 
bring  a  smile  to  his  pale  face,  so  while  he  was 
sleeping  she  prepared  a  surprise. 

She  took  the  red  feet  of  a  bird  called  the 
dovekie,  and,  drawing  out  the  bones,  blew  into 
the  skin  until  it  was  puffed  out  as  full  as  possi- 
ble. Then  she  poured  melted  reindeer  fat 
into  these  bright-colored  pouches,  and  the 
candy-bags  were  finished. 

Etu's  eyes  grew  suddenly  bright  when  they 
opened  upon  the  surprise  prepared  for  him. 
It  did  not  take  many  minutes,  you  may  well 
believe,  for  every  bit  of  this  odd  candy  to  dis- 
appear.    You  may  like  chocolate  creams  and 


34      Our  Little  Eskimo  Cousin 

cocoanut  cakes,  and  think  them  the  greatest 
treat  in  the  world,  but  in  Etu's  opinion  there 
is  nothing  better  than  a  big  lump  of  seal  blub- 
ber or  the  marrow  from  the  inside  of  a  deer's 
bones. 

When  he  had  his  first  bow  and  arrow,  it 
was  a  very  tiny  one.  He  learned  to  shoot  at 
a  target  inside  his  winter  home.  His  mother 
would  hang  up  pieces  of  fat  meat  across  the 
room  where  he  sat,  and  he  would  try  very 
hard  to  pierce  them.  If  he  succeeded,  he 
could  have  the  meat  to  eat,  so  of  course  he 
tried  very  hard. 

At  other  times  he  would  sit  watching  for  a 
dog  to  push  his  head  up  through  the  doorway, 
and  let  fly  the  arrow  at  him.  At  first  this 
seems  like  a  very  cruel  sport,  but  the  arrow 
was  blunted  and  very  small ;  it  could  not  do 
much  harm,  even  if  it  struck  the  dog,  who 
would  bound  away  out  of  sight  only  to  appear 
again  in  a  few  moments. 


Play  -  Days  35 

Of  course,  Etu  has  played  ball  all  his  life, 
but  his  ball  is  of  a  different  kind  from  yours. 
It  is  made  of  sealskin.  Sometimes  he  will  try 
with  other  boys  to  knock  it  about  so  continu- 
ally that  it  is  kept  in  the  air  for  a  long,  long 
time  without  falling.  At  other  times  all  en- 
gage in  a  grand  game  of  football,  but,  accord- 
ing to  their  ideas,  the  children  must  on  no 
account  touch  the  ball  with  their  hands. 
That  would  be  a  "  foul  play,"  as  you  boys 
would  say.  By  their  rules  it  can  only  be 
kicked. 

In  the  long  winter  evenings  there  is  still 
more  fun.  In  Etu's  big  household  old  and 
young  gather  around  the  dim,  smoky  lamp 
and  tell  stories.  There  are  such  wonderful 
adventures  to  relate  of  daring  deeds  on  sea 
and  land.  Etu  listens  breathless  to  tales  of 
the  white  bear  surprised  in  his  den,  of  long 
tramps  after  prey,  when  life  depended  on 
fresh    supplies,    and    King    Frost    was    striv- 


36      Our  Little  Eskimo  Cousin 

ing  to  seize  the  weakened  bodies  of  the 
hunters. 

Then  there  are  quaint  legends  and  fairy 
tales,  besides  stories  of  wondrous  beings  in 
the  unseen  world  around.  Some  of  these 
beings  are  good,  and  some  bad.  Etu  does 
not  like  to  hear  about  these  last,  and  tries 
to  put  them  out  of  his  mind  when  he  is 
travelling  alone. 

But  the  evenings  are  not  wholly  given  to 
story-telling,  for  the  people  are  fond  of  music. 
They  like  dancing,  also,  for  it  makes  them 
feel  jolly  and  gay.  They  pass  many  an 
hour  singing  monotonous  songs  which  they 
think  very  sweet,  but  which  we  would  think 
tiresome. 

Sometimes  when  Etu's  mother  has  finished 
her  work  for  the  day,  she  gathers  the  children 
of  the  house  around  her,  and  shows  them  how 
to  make  wonderful  figures  with  strings  of 
deer's  sinews.     You   all    know  the  game   of 


Play  -  Days  37 

cat's  cradle ;   well,  it  is  something  like  that, 
only  very  much  harder. 

The  woman  fastens  the  string  back  and 
forth  on  her  son's  hands,  then  weaves  it 
quickly  in  and  out;  before  one  knows  it, 
she  has  shaped  it  into  the  body  of  a  musk 
ox.  A  few  more  changes  are  made,  when, 
behold  !  it  is  no  longer  a  musk  ox,  but  has 
become  a  reindeer  or  a  seal.  It  requires  a 
great  deal  of  skill  to  do  this,  but  Etu  can 
make  nearly  as  many  figures  as  his  mother, 
although  she  has  had  so  many  years  of 
practice. 


CHAPTER   IV. 

DOG    TEAM    AND    SLEDGE. 

When  he  was  three  years  old,  our  little 
northern  cousin  had  his  first  and  only  pets. 
They  were  two  little  puppies  left  without  any 
mother.  They  looked  like  baby  wolves  with 
their  sharp,  pointed  noses,  erect  ears,  and 
furry  backs ;  but  they  were  very  cunning,  and 
amused  their  little  master  all  day  long.  When 
night  came  they  crept  under  the  heavy  covers, 
and  lay  close  to  Etu's  feet  while  he  slept, 
keeping  him  as  warm  and  comfortable  as  he 
could  possibly  desire  to  be. 

But,  like  all  other  pets,  these  puppies  would 
grow  up,  and  then  their  work  in  life  began  as 
well  as  Etu's.  They  must  be  trained  to  draw 
a  sledge,  for  they  must  be  able  to  carry  their 

38 


Dog  Team  and  Sledge         39 

young  master  on  long  journeys  over  the  snowy 
plains. 

Etu's  mother  made  him  some  reins  to  be 
fastened  to  the  dogs'  necks.  She  placed  the 
ends  in  the  hands  of  her  little  boy,  who  sat  on 
the  platform,  holding  a  whip.  He  must  learn 
to  manage  the  team,  he  must  teach  the  dogs 
to  obey  his  voice,  to  move  to  the  right  or  the 
left,  as  he  directed ;  in  short,  to  understand 
that  he  was  truly  their  master. 

Every  new  birthday  two  more  dogs  were 
given  to  Etu,  and  it  became  his  duty  to  feed 
and  train  them  to  be  in  readiness  when  he 
was  old  enough  to  hunt  with  his  father. 

Do  not  imagine  for  a  moment  that  this  was 
an  easy  matter.  No  white  man  has  ever  yet, 
I  believe,  found  himself  able  to  manage  a 
pack  of  Eskimo  dogs.  Each  one  is  fastened 
to  the  sledge  by  a  single  cord,  and,  as  they 
hurry  onward  at  the  sound  of  their  master's 
voice,  it  seems  as  though  there  were  the  most 


40      Our  Little  Eskimo  Cousin 

dreadful  confusion.  One  dog,  wiser  and  clev- 
erer than  the  rest,  is  always  chosen  as  the 
leader ;  his  rein  is  a  little  longer  than  the 
others.  He  is  always  the  one  that  listens 
most  closely  to  the  directions  given,  turning 
his  head  backward  from  time  to  time  to  look 
at  his  master,  and  make  sure  that  he  is  right. 
Then  onward  he  dashes,  the  other  dogs  fol- 
lowing close  at  his  heels. 

Etu  spent  some  time  in  deciding  which  dog 
was  the  best  out  of  his  own  pack,  but  when 
he  was  quite  sure  of  Vanya's  strength  and 
brightness  he  gave  him  the  greatest  care  and 
attention  of  all. 

But  the  whip  !  It  was  far  harder  to  learn 
its  use  than  to  master  all  his  other  lessons. 
The  handle  was  only  six  inches  long,  while  the 
lash  was  at  least  sixteen  feet.  To  throw  it  out 
and  then  bring  it  back  without  letting  it  be- 
come entangled  among  the  legs  of  two  or 
three  dogs  was  a  difficult  task.      But  to  be 


"  ETU     HAD    BECOME     QUITE    SKILFUL  " 


Dog  Team  and  Sledge         41 

sure  of  striking  only  the  one  for  whom  it  was 
intended,  was  a  far  harder  thing  to  learn. 
Even  when  Etu  had  become  quite  skilful,  it 
seemed  as  though  every  time  he  rode  away  he 
must  come  home  with  at  least  one  broken 
bone.  For  as  the  dogs  gradually  gained  in 
speed,  and  one  or  another  received  a  stroke  of 
the  whip  to  remind  him  of  his  duty,  he  would 
jump  wildly  around.  Perhaps  he  would  upset 
two  or  three  others  in  an  instant.  Then  there 
would  be  such  a  yelping,  and  such  a  breaking 
of  reins  would  follow,  it  seemed  impossible  for 
Etu  to  straighten  them  out  again,  and  harder 
still  it  must  have  been  for  him  to  keep  his 
seat,  and  not  be  thrown  off. 

But  the  boy  loves  the  work,  and  nothing 
pleases  him  more  than  to  be  sent  twenty  miles 
to  a  neighbouring  village  on  an  errand  for  his 
father. 

In  the  winter  season,  when  the  dogs  are  not 
working,  they  are  sometimes  allowed  to  stay  in 


42      Our  Little  Eskimo  Cousin 

the  passageway  leading  to  the  house.  And 
you  already  know  that  they  try  again  and 
again  to  make  their  way  inside.  The  burning 
lamp  gives  such  pleasant  warmth,  and  the 
smell  of  the  seal  or  reindeer  meat  is  so  tempt- 
ing that  they  are  willing  to  run  the  chance  of 
the  blows  they  are  almost  sure  to  get  for  being 
so  daring. 

They  are  warmly  clothed,  however,  and  can 
bear  the  most  terrible  weather  without  harm 
coming  to  them.  Beneath  the  long  hair  a 
heavy  soft  wool  grows  in  the  winter  time,  and 
protects  their  bodies  from  the  icy  cold. 

It  is  Etu's  duty  to  feed  all  the  dogs  of  the 
household.  It  does  not  take  a  great  amount 
of  his  time,  for  the  poor  hard-working  crea- 
tures have  only  one  meal  in  two  days  !  If 
there  is  danger  of  a  famine,  and  provisions  are 
scarce,  they  are  fed  but  once  in  three  days. 
This  is  during  the  winter,  moreover,  for  in 
summer  they  are  expected  to  provide  for  them' 


Dog  Team  and  Sledge         43 

selves,  getting  fish  from  the  shallow  beds  of 
the  rivers,  killing  birds  as  they  alight  on  the 
shore,  catching  baby  seals,  and  getting  reindeer 
moss  or  lichens  from  the  rocks. 

It  is  fun  to  watch  Etu  on  feeding  day.  He 
gathers  the  dogs  around  him  in  a  wide  circle, 
and  tosses  first  to  one,  then  to  another,  his 
strip  of  sealskin.  If  a  dog  moves  from  his 
place  or  jumps  out  of  turn  to  receive  his  food, 
he  is  only  rewarded  by  a  lash  of  the  whip, 
instead  of  the  longed-for  meat.  So  by  long 
experience  they  have  learned  to  wait  patiently. 

These  Eskimo  dogs  must  have  wonderful 
stomachs  to  digest  the  tough  food  on  which 
they  live.  It  is  simply  impossible  to  chew  the 
strips  of  skin,  so  they  are  swallowed  whole. 
Sometimes  a  young  dog  chokes  over  his  hard 
work,  and  coughs  up  his  precious  bit,  only  to 
have  it  snatched  away  from  him  by  one  of  his 
neighbours. 

We  feel  like  pitying  these  dogs  of  the  cold 


44      Our  Little  Eskimo  Cousin 

lands.  They  are  deeply  devoted  to  their 
masters,  yet  a  word  of  kindness  is  rarely 
spoken  to  them.  Their  work  is  hard,  and 
their  food  is  scant.  In  winter  they  must  draw 
the  sledges,  and  in  summer,  as  their  masters 
travel  from  place  to  place,  they  are  laden  with 
heavy  packs  which  they  carry  cheerfully. 

This  reminds  me  that  when  Etu  played 
"  horse "  in  his  early  days,  it  wasn't  borse, 
after  all ;  it  was  dog,  instead,  for  the  Eskimo 
dog  is  the  only  horse  of  the  far  north. 

When  Etu  was  old  enough  to  drive  a  team 
of  a  dozen  dogs,  he  had  reached  his  tenth 
birthday.     His  father  said  to  him  then : 

"  Now,  Etu,  you  are  old  enough  to  make 
your  own  sledge.  You  have  often  helped 
me,  but  now  you  are  able  to  do  the  work 
alone." 

Our  little  cousin  set  manfully  to  work  at 
once.  It  was  so  nice  to  think  of  having  a 
sledge  for  his  very  own,  and  one  that  he  had 


Dog  Team  and  Sledge         45 

made  himself,  too.  It  was  not  a  very  hard 
task,  once  he  had  gathered  his  materials  to- 
gether. The  jawbones  of  a  whale  were  used 
for  the  framework  and  runners.  Sealskin  was 
fitted  over  this  framework,  and  a  little  seat 
made  from  which  Etu's  legs  hung  over  in 
front  when  he  was  driving. 

"  But  will  the  bone  runners  travel  swiftly 
enough  over  the  snow  ?  "  some  one  asks. 

"  Not  unless  they  are  properly  iced,"  Etu 
would  answer. 

Every  time  the  boy  starts  out  on  a  journey, 
he  must  prepare  the  runners  afresh  by  squirt- 
ing water  upon  them  from  his  mouth.  A 
coating  of  smooth  ice  is  formed  almost  in- 
stantly, which  will  last  for  a  short  distance. 
Then  it  must  be  renewed. 

Soon  after  Etu's  sledge  was  completed,  he 
was  sent  by  his  father  to  look  for  seal-holes 
along  the  coast.  It  was  a  bright,  clear  day, 
and,  although  it  was  fifty  degrees  below  zero, 


46      Our  Little  Eskimo  Cousin 

the  boy  enjoyed  his  ride ;  he  had  no  thought 
of  cold,  as  there  was  only  a  slight  wind 
blowing. 

He  journeyed  on  and  on,  his  bright  eyes 
watching  for  signs  of  seals  beneath  the  snow- 
covered  ice.  He  did  not  realise  how  far 
he  was  from  home.  He  was  many  miles 
away,  when  a  strong  wind  suddenly  arose. 
How  it  cut  his  cheeks  and  bit  his  nose !  He 
knew  he  must  turn  back  at  once  or  he  might 
be  overcome. 

Brave  boy  as  he  was,  there  would  keep 
entering  his  mind  the  thought  of  a  neighbour 
who  was  frozen  while  travelling  in  just  such 
weather.  When  his  sledge  arrived  at  his  own 
doorway,  there  sat  the  man  in  his  seat,  straight 
and  stiff;  but  the  reins  were  tightly  held  in 
dead  hands.  The  dogs  had  kept  on  their  way 
unharmed,  while  the  driver  gradually  lost  all 
knowledge  of  them,  and  of  this  w.orld. 

Etu  put  his  gloved  hand  to  his  nose  again 


Dog  Team  and  Sledge         47 

and  again,  to  make  sure  it  was  all  right ;  it 
was  such  an  easy  thing  for  it  to  freeze  without 
his  knowledge.  And  now  his  hands  began  to 
grow  numb,  and  then  his  feet,  although  he 
often  sprang  from  his  sledge  to  run  with  the 
dogs  and  jump  in  the  snow. 

Ah,  that  icy  wind !  Would  it  never  stop  ? 
The  boy's  eyes  became  blinded,  and  at  last  he 
thought : 

"  It  is  of  no  use.  I  don't  care  very  much, 
anyway.  I  begin  to  feel  so  queer  and  stupid. 
What  does  it  mean  ?  " 

That  was  the  last  he  knew  till  he  awoke  in 
his  own  home  to  find  his  mother  bending  over 
him ;  she  was  rubbing  him  with  balls  of  snow, 
and  looking  very,  very  anxious.  How  the 
blood  tingled  through  his  body,  as  it  began 
to  move  freely  once  more  !  But  he  was  safe 
now,  and  could  no  longer  feel  the  terrible 
wind  blowing  against  him. 

It  was  a  narrow  escape  for  Etu.     It  was 


48      Our  Little  Eskimo  Cousin 

well  for  him  that  he  was  within  a  mile  of  the 
village  when  he  lost  the  power  to  think.  The 
dogs  kept  on  their  way,  and  brought  him 
quickly  to  his  own  home. 


CHAPTER   V. 


KAYAK    AND    HARPOON. 


When  Etu  was  only  nine  years  old  he 
began  to  go  out  upon  the  ocean,  fishing  and 
shooting  with  his  father.  Of  course  he  was 
allowed  to  go  on  calm  days  only.  Years  of 
practice  would  be  needed  before  he  could  be 
trusted  to  manage  his  boat  in  winter  storms, 
or  risk  his  life  in  seal  hunting.  When  he  was 
eleven  years  old,  however,  he  had  learned  to 
paddle  very  well,  and,  besides,  he  had  grown 
to  be  such  a  big  boy  that  his  father  said : 

"  You  must  have  a  new  kayak,  Etu ;  your 
mother  will  help  you  make  it.  You  have 
outgrown  the  other,  and  it  is  not  safe." 

It  was  one  of  Etu's  duties  to  watch  for 
all    the   driftwood   floating   in    toward   shore. 

49 


50      Our  Little  Eskimo  Cousin 

Every  piece  is  more  precious  to  these  people 
of  the  north  than  we  can  imagine.  They  have 
no  money,  but  if  they  could  express  the  value 
of  the  bits  of  driftwood  in  dollars  and  cents, 
we  would  be  amazed.  Some  of  us,  I  fear, 
would  feel  like  carrying  a  shipload  of  lumber 
to  Etu's  people  and  making  a  fortune  very 
easily. 

When  our  little  Eskimo  wished  to  begin 
the  making  of  his  boat,  he  went  first  to  the 
family  treasure  house.  Of  course  you  can 
guess  what  was  stored  there.  Not  diamonds 
and  pearls,  nor  gold  and  silver ;  but  simply 
—  driftwood. 

Etu  chose  with  much  care  the  pieces  from 
which  to  make  a  stout  framework  for  his 
boat.  It  was  important  that  he.  should  take 
light  wood  that  had  not  lost  its  strength  by 
drifting  about  in  the  water  too  long.  He 
cut  the  strips  with  a  bone  knife  and  bound 
them    into   shape   with    strong   cords  of  seal 


Kayak  and  Harpoon  51 

sinew.  The  ends  of  the  boat  were  sharply 
pointed. 

His  mother's  work  began  now.  She  took 
the  skins  of  seals  which  her  husband  had  just 
killed  and  scraped  away  all  the  scraps  of  blub- 
ber and  flesh  left  on  the  hides.  Then,  rolling 
them  tightly  together,  she  left  them  for  some 
days.  When  they  were  again  unrolled,  it  was 
quite  easy  to  scrape  off  the  hairs  with  a  mussel 
shell.  After  this,  the  skins  were  well  washed 
in  sea  water. 

A  very  important  step  must  be  taken  next. 
The  skins  must  be  stretched.  Etu's  first  boat 
must  be  a  fine  one  and  there  must  be  no 
wrinkles  in  the  covering.  The  safest  way  was 
to  stretch  them  over  the  framework  of  the 
boat  itself.  Then  they  would  be  sure  to  fit 
well.  An  Eskimo  woman  feels  very  much 
ashamed  if  any  part  of  the  boat's  covering  is 
loose  or  wrinkled.  People  will  think  she  is  a 
poor  worker,  and  that  would  be  a  sad  disgrace. 


52      Our  Little  Eskimo  Cousin 

How  did  Etu's  mother  manage  to  make  the 
boat  water-tight  ?  It  was  done  through  her 
careful  sewing.  She  worked  with  her  coarse 
bone  needle,  and  the  sinews  of  seal  and  deer 
were  the  only  thread ;  yet  when  the  kayak 
was  finished,  not  a  single  drop  of  water  could 
enter.     It  was  a  clever  piece  of  work. 

Where  was  Etu  to  sit  in  this  wonderful 
boat  ?  The  deck  was  entirely  covered  excepts 
ing  the  small  hole  in  the  centre.  The  boy 
had  measured  this  hole  with,  great  care  when  he 
made  the  framework  of  the  kayak.  It  was 
just  large  enough  for  him  to  squeeze  through. 
His  feet  and  legs  must  be  underneath  the 
deck,  and  his  thighs  should  fill  up  the  hole 
exactly.  Now  you  understand  why  the  boy's 
father  spoke  of  his  outgrowing  the  old  boat. 

Do  you  also  see  why  there  was  no  larger 
hole?  Think  for  a  moment  of  the  waters 
through  which  he  must  ride.  Our  rough  seas 
would  seem  calm  to  Etu.     If  the  deck  were 


Kayak  and  Harpoon  53 

not  covered,  the  dashing  waves  would  swamp 
his  boat  almost  instantly.  His  people  had 
found  this  out  for  themselves  ;  so  they  cleverly 
planned  a  boat  different  from  that  of  any  other 
in  the  world. 

Etu  made  a  stout  paddle  with  two  blades. 
It  is  a  pleasure  for  his  mother  and  her  friends 
to  watch  him  use  it.  He  is  very  skilful,  and 
now,  at  twelve  years  of  age,  he  can  make  the 
kayak  skim  over  the  water  like  the  wind.  How 
straight  he  always  sits  !  He  balances  the  boat 
exactly  and  first  bends  the  right  blade  into  the 
water,  then  the  left,  without  seeming  to  work 
hard,  either.  And  in  some  wonderful  way, 
one  can  hardly  understand  how,  he  speeds 
onward.  No  wonder  it  is  such  a  pleasure  to 
watch  him. 

Etu  is  very  proud  of  his  paddle;  not  be- 
cause he  made  it,  but  because  of  the  time  his 
mother  spent  in  decorating  it.  It  is  inlaid 
with  bits  of  stone  and  ivory  set  in  a  pretty 


54      Our  Little  Eskimo  Cousin 

pattern.  Surely,  his  mother  is  a  fine  worker. 
She  has  just  made  him  a  present  of  a  new 
pair  of  gloves.  They  are  to  be  worn  while  he 
is  out  in  his  boat,  and  reach  above  his  elbows. 
They  will  protect  his  arms  and  keep  them 
dry,  even  if  the  waves  sweep  clear  over 
him.  But  they  are  not  like  common  gloves, 
for  they  are  embroidered  in  a  fine  pattern. 
She  cut  out  bits  of  hide  and  dyed  them 
different  colours.  Then  she  sewed  them 
together  in  a  neat  design  on  the  arm  pieces 
of  the  gloves.  Shouldn't  you  call  that  em- 
broidery ? 

While  Etu's  boat  was  being  made,  his 
mother  had  a  party.  Perhaps  it  would  be 
better  to  call  it  a  "  sewing-bee."  Etu  was 
sent  around  to  the  different  women  in  the 
village.  He  told  them  his  mother  was  ready 
to  sew  the  covering  on  his  boat.  Would  they 
like  to  help  her? 

Now  there  is  nothing  Eskimo  women  like 


Kayak  and  Harpoon  55 

better  than  to  come  together  for  a  friendly 
chat.  So  the  invitation  was  accepted,  and 
one  morning,  bright  and  early,  a  party  of 
women  could  be  seen  gathered  around  the 
sealskins.  Their  fingers  worked  swiftly,  but 
I  fear  their  tongues  moved  still  faster.  There 
was  a  great  deal  of  laughter,  for  they  seemed 
to  have  many  funny  stories  to  tell.  And  I 
don't  believe  there  was  a  bit  of  unkind  gossip ; 
at  least,  their  faces  didn't  show  it. 

It  was  amusing  to  see  how  much  their  teeth 
were  used.  They  were  like  another  hand  to 
these  Eskimo  women,  for,  as  they  sewed,  they 
held  the  piece  of  skin  in  its  place  with  their 
teeth.  When  the  covering  must  be  stretched 
over  this  hard  place  or  that  edge,  it  was  the 
teeth  again  that  gave  the  needed  help.  Etu 
knows  one  old  woman  whose  teeth  are  worn 
almost  down  to  the  gums.  She  must  have 
worked  very  hard  all  the  years  of  her  life. 
She  must  have  sewed  on  many  boat-coverings 


56      Our  Little  Eskimo  Cousin 

and  made  many  suits  of  clothes  before  this 
could  have  been  done. 

When  Etu's  kayak  was  finished,  his  mother 
invited  the  workers  up  to  the  house,  where 
they  were  treated  to  a  dish  of  seal-blood  soup 
and  a  pipe  of  tobacco.  It  was  a  grand  sur- 
prise. In  the  first  place,  the  heated  blood  of 
the  seal  is  always  a  dainty ;  and  then,  they  sel- 
dom had  the  privilege  of  smoking  tobacco.  It 
was  a  great  rarity,  for  it  could  only  be  obtained 
through  trade  with  the  white  people. 

When  night  came,  all  were  in  great  good 
humour  as  they  left  for  their  own  homes. 
But,  as  they  stepped  outdoors,  what  a  beauti- 
ful sight  met  their  eyes  !  The  northern  lights 
were  shooting  across  the  heavens  in  glorious 
colours.  Have  you  never  noticed  on  cold 
winter  nights  lines  of  light  shooting  upward 
into  the  sky?  It  is  always  in  the  north  that 
we  see  them,  and  we  wonder  and  exclaim  as 
we  look. 


Kayak  and  Harpoon  57 

Your  mother  tells  you,  "It  is  the  Aurora 
Borealis."  It  is  not  fully  known  what  causes 
the  strange  light.  It  is  thought,  however,  to 
be  electricity. 

In  Etu's  land  the  aurora  is  far  more  won- 
derful and  beautiful  than  with  us.  The  vis- 
itors were  used  to  such  sights,  yet  they  called 
to  the  boy  and  his  mother  to  come  outdoors 
and  look. 

"  The  lights  are  brighter  than  I  ever  saw 
them  in  my  life,"  exclaimed  one  of  the  women. 
At  first  it  seemed  as  though  there  were  a  great 
cloud  of  light  just  above  the  horizon,  but  it 
suddenly  changed  till  the  heavens  appeared  to 
be  alive.  The  very  air  around  the  people 
quivered,  as  long,  bright  lines  shot  upward 
across  the  sky.  They  changed  so  quickly, 
it  seemed  as  though  a  mighty  power  was 
directing  them  about,  now  here,  now  there. 
It  made  one  dizzy  to  watch  them.  Now 
there  would   be   streamers  of  green  and  red 


58      Our  Little  Eskimo  Cousin 

and  blue  darting  from  the  sky-line  way  to 
the  very  zenith.  There  they  would  meet  in  a 
purplish  crown  of  glory. 

Again  the  sky  would  change  in  its  appear- 
ance, and  a  red  light  would  spread  over  all. 
It  was  so  bright  that  the  snow  in  every  direc- 
tion was  tinted  a  rosy  colour. 

"  What  makes  it,  mother  ?  "  whispered  Etu. 
"  Is  it  the  work  of  good  spirits,  or  are  evil 
ones  trying  to  show  us  their  power  ? " 

"  I  do  not  know,  my  child,"  was  the 
answer.  "  We  are  not  wise,  and  cannot  un- 
derstand these  things.  Come,  let  us  go  back 
into  the  house.     The  sight  makes  me  fearful." 

Etu  had  many  finishing  touches  to  put  on 
his  boat  after  it  was  covered.  A  wooden  hoop 
must  be  fitted  around  the  hole  in  which  he 
was  to  sit.  Several  thongs  of  seal  hide  must 
be  fastened  on  the  deck,  under  which  his  spear 
and  harpoon  should  rest  while  he  paddled. 
Still  other  straps  were  bound  to  the  sides  of 


Kayak  and  Harpoon  59 

the  deck,  for,  unless  the  birds  or  seals  could 
be  fastened  to  the  boat  in  some  way  after  they 
had  been  killed,  how  could  they  be  towed 
home  ? 

Then  Etu  began  to  work  on  his  harpoon. 
His  father  had  to  help  him  now,  for  it  needed 
skill  and  care  to  fit  it  exactly  to  the  throwing- 
stick.  The  Eskimos  long  ago  found  that  the 
bow  and  arrow  were  not  useful  in  their  narrow, 
dangerous  boats.  Only  a  one-handed  weapon 
can  be  used  in  such  a  place,  so  they  invented 
the  harpoon  and  the  bird  dart. 

The  harpoon  is  a  long  piece  of  wood 
pointed  with  bone  or  iron.  It  is  fastened 
into  a  handle  of  wood  called  a  throwing-stick. 
A  cord  of  seal  hide  is  attached  to  it  at  the 
other  end.  You  should  see  our  stout  little 
Etu  riding  the  waves  in  his  kayak,  and  balanc- 
ing the  throwing-stick  on  his  shoulder  to  send 
the  harpoon  flying  straight  to  the  mark.  But 
suppose  the  harpoon  lodges  fast  in  the  seal's 


60      Our  Little  Eskimo  Cousin 

body  ;  if  the  hunter  still  holds  the  other  end 
of  the  cord  attached  to  it,  the  creature  in  his 
fury  may  make  such  plunges  as  to  drag  the 
boat  and  all  down  under  the  water  and  des- 
troy them.  Something  else  must  be  invented. 
This  was  the  buoy  or  float.  So  it  was  that 
Etu  had  to  make  a  buoy  to  complete  his 
hunting  outfit. 

He  took  the  skin  of  a  young  seal,  from 
which  his  mother  had  scraped  off  all  the  hairs, 
and  tied  up  the  holes  made  by  the  head  and 
legs.  Through  a  small  tube  fastened  in  the 
skin  he  could  blow  up  his  queerly  shaped 
buoy  to  its  fullest  size. 

Now  the  float  was  completed.  Do  you 
understand  what  help  it  would  give?  If  the 
float  is  attached  to  the  other  end  of  the  line 
when  the  harpoon  is  thrown,  the  hunter  can 
let  everything  go.  He  does  not  need  to  have 
any  part  fastened  to  the  boat.  For  the  float 
cannot  sink,  and  will  show  him  where  to  follow 


Kayak  and  Harpoon  61 

the  game,  and  where  to  throw  next ;  yet  he 
is  himself  in  no  danger  of  being  pulled  after 
the  animal. 

Even  now  Etu  would  not  be  safe  to  go 
hunting  in  rough  waters.  He  must  have  a 
special  coat  prepared.  This,  again,  was  his 
mother's  work.  The  skin  of  the  seal  was 
used  after  all  the  hair  was  removed.  The 
jacket  was  made  to  fit  closely  over  his  other 
garments.  It  had  a  hood  to  be  drawn  tightly 
over  his  head,  long  sleeves,  and  drawing- 
strings  around  the  neck  and  lower  edge. 

When  Etu  gets  into  his  boat  he  must  fit 
his  jacket  around  the  hoop  of  the  sitting-hole, 
and  draw  the  cord  tightly.  And  now  he 
seems  a  part  of  the  boat  itself.  No  water  can 
enter,  and  although  the  waves  may  dash  com- 
pletely over  him  he  will  keep  dry,  and  the 
boat  will  not  sink. 

No  boy  could  be  happier  than  Etu  was 
when   his  outfit  was    complete.      He    ran   to 


62      Our  Little  Eskimo  Cousin 

meet  his  father  to  tell  him  the  joyful  news. 
Now  he  could  be  looked  upon  as  a  man,  no 
longer  a  child.  He  would  hereafter  be  al- 
lowed to  take  part  in  the  dangers  of  his 
father's  life.     He  was  very  glad. 

This  happy,  good-natured  boy,  who  disliked 
to  say  a  cross  word  to  any  one,  who  would  not 
fight  with  other  boys,  was  certainly  no  coward. 
For  his  heart  was  set  upon  war,  —  not  war 
with  his  fellows,  but  war  with  the  winds  and 
waves,  and  the  powerful  creatures  of  sea  and 
land.  He  was  ready  for  battle.  Time  would 
show  that  courage  was  not  wanting  when  he 
came  face  to  face  with  danger. 


CHAPTER  VI. 


THE    SEAL    HUNT. 


It  was  about  this  time  that  Etu's  fathei 
bored  holes  in  his  son's  lips.  These  holes 
were  made  at  each  end  of  the  mouth.  Ivory 
buttons  were  fitted  into  them,  and  now  Etu 
felt  that  he  was  more  of  a  man  than  ever 
before.  It  was  a  proud  moment  when  he 
looked  in  the  bit  of  mirror  his  father  had 
bought  for  ten  seal  hides,  and  gazed  on  his 
queer  ornaments.  He  thought  they  were  very 
beautiful,  and  then  they  fitted  so  well !  The 
pain  of  having  the  holes  bored,  and  the  un- 
pleasant feeling  before  the  flesh  healed,  were 
of  little  matter  to  him.  It  was  not  worth 
thinking  about. 

It  was  a  terrible  winter,  and  food  was  scarce. 
63 


64      Our  Little  Eskimo  Cousin 

There  was  a  very  small  supply  of  meat  on 
hand  in  the  village.  The  first  pleasant  morn- 
ing after  Etu's  fishing  outfit  was  finished,  he 
started  off  for  a  day's  hunt  on  the  ocean. 
Very  early  in  the  morning  he  and  his  father 
went  out  on  the  rocks  to  look  for  the  weather 
signs.  Yes,  it  would  be  a  clear  day ;  it  would 
be  safe  to  venture  on  the  waves.  The  other 
men  of  the  village  were  already  out,  and  soon 
all  were  busy  launching  their  boats.  No  break- 
fast was  eaten ;  they  could  work  better  and 
shoot  straighter  if  they  waited  to  eat  until 
they  came   back. 

Each  one  of  the  party  carefully  arranged  his 
harpoon,  spear,  and  float  on  the  deck  of  his 
boat;  then,  shoving  it  into  the  icy  water, 
sprang  in  after  it  and  quickly  fitted  himself 
into  the  small  seat.  The  sea  jacket  must  be 
drawn  carefully  around  the  hoop,  for,  if  water 
should  enter,  the  boat  would  soon  sink. 

As  the  hunters  paddled  merrily  along,  the 


The  Seal  Hunt  65 

waves  kept  dashing  over  the  decks.  But  the 
men  sang  and  shouted  gaily  to  each  other 
as  though  it  were  the  finest  sport  in  the  world. 
Yet  it  was  a  lonely  scene  about  them ;  we 
should  even  call  it  fearful.  Cakes  of  ice  jostled 
against  the  boats  here  and  there,  and  far  out 
in  the  dim  light  a  floating  field  of  ice  could  be 
seen  by  the  watchful  Eskimos.  Sometimes 
they  hunted  for  the  seals  on  such  fields,  for 
these  creatures  often  gather  in  herds  on  the 
ice  to  bask  in  the  sun  and  to  sport  together. 
But  to-day  they  would  search  for  them  in  the 
ocean  itself. 

The  boats  skimmed  onward  over  the  waves 
till  the  land  lay  far  behind.  Three  hours 
passed  before  the  seal  ground  was  reached. 
Etu  paddled  steadily  and  kept  up  with  the 
men  who  had  so  much  more  experience  than 
himself. 

As  his  father  watched  him  from  time  to 
time,  he  thought,  "  My  boy  will  be  a  leader 


66      Our  Little  Eskimo  Cousin 

for  his  people  when  I  grow  old  and  weak.  I 
have  never  before  seen  one  so  young  show 
such  strength." 

Etu's  father  was  held  to  be  the  best  hunts- 
man of  the  village,  and  for  this  very  reason  was 
looked  upon  as  the  chief.  The  Eskimos 
share  everything  in  common,  but  one  man  in 
a  settlement  is  chosen  as  the  leader.  He 
settles  the  disputes  and  gives  advice  when  it 
is  needed.  He  directs  the  hunt  and  judges 
the  wrong-doer.  When  he  fails  in  strength 
it  is  but  right  that  another  should  be  chosen 
in  his  place. 

When  the  seal  ground  was  reached  at  last, 
the  men  moved  away  from  each  other  in  dif- 
ferent directions ;  the  singing  and  shouting 
stopped  as  they  rested  on  their  paddles  and 
watched  for  seals'  heads  to  appear  above  the 
water.  Etu's  father  kept  quite  near  him ;  he 
might  be  needed  to  help  his  son  in  case  he 
was  successful. 


SOUNDS    THE    HARPOON    AS    IT    SPEEDS    FROM 
ETU's    SHOULDER  " 


The  Seal  Hunt  67 

Ten  minutes  passed,  then  twenty,  thirty, 
but  the  boy  did  not  grow  impatient.  His 
bright  eyes  watched  closely,  scanning  the 
water  in  all  directions.  At  last  he  was  re- 
warded, for  look  !  there  is  a  brown  head  rising 
into  view.  The  seal  is  easily  frightened,  and 
darts  out  of  sight  when  he  sees  the  boy  in  the 
boat.  But  Etu  does  not  move  a  muscle  till 
the  seal  has  disappeared.  Then  he  paddles 
rapidly  toward  the  spot  where  the  creature 
sank  out  of  sight  and  once  more  quietly  waits, 
but  this  time  with  harpoon  in  hand. 

Seals  are  able  to  stay  under  water  for  twenty 
minutes  at  a  time.  They  can  close  their  nos- 
trils whenever  they  choose,  and  they  breathe 
very  slowly  at  all  times.  But  they  must  come 
to  the  surface  after  a  time  for  fresh  air.  Etu 
knows  this  and  watches. 

Ah !  the  water  moves  again.  The  prey  is 
to  be  seen  and  is  but  a  short  distance  awav. 
Whizz  !  sounds  the  harpoon  as  it  speeds  from 


68      Our  Little  Eskimo  Cousin 

Etu's  shoulder  and  goes  straight  to  the  mark. 
Quick  as  a  flash  the  float  is  thrown  from  the 
boat,  and  the  coil  of  rope  fastened  to  it  runs 
out  as  the  seal  drags  it  along.  He  throws 
himself  about  in  agony,  but  cannot  free  him- 
self from  the  cruel  harpoon  lodged  in  his  side. 
The  water  is  stained  with  blood. 

Now  the  float  can  be  seen  on  the  surface  of 
the  waves,  now  it  is  dragged  below  as  the  seal 
dives  out  of  sight ;  but  Etu  does  not  worry. 
He  must  paddle  far  enough  away  from  the 
seal,  however,  to  keep  out  of  danger.  For 
although  it  is  usually  a  timid  and  gentle 
creature,  yet,  when  it  is  attacked,  it  grows 
daring  and  dangerous. 

Etu  knows  of  several  hunters  whose  boats 
have  been  ripped  open  by  seals ;  they  would 
have  been  killed  by  their  angry  foes  if  their 
comrades  had  not  come  to  their  rescue.  The 
boy  has  listened  to  stories  of  such  narrow  es- 
capes ever  since  he  was  old  enough  to  under- 


The  Seal  Hunt  69 

stand  these  things.  So  he  is  very  quick  and 
watchful.  He  does  not  notice  that  his  father 
has  drawn  quite  close,  and  sits,  spear  in  hand, 
ready  to  end  the  seal's  life  if  his  son  should 
fail. 

And  now  the  wounded  animal  appears  again 
directly  in  front  of  the  boat.  A  good  chance 
must  not  be  lost,  and  Etu,  seizing  his  spear, 
drives  it  straight  through  one  of  the  flip- 
pers. It  pierces  the  seal's  lungs,  and  after 
a  few  gasps  the  beautiful  soft  eyes  close  in 
death. 

"  Well  done,  my  boy,"  shouted  his  father. 
"  You  have  won  the  first  prize  of  the  day. 
You  shall  treat  our  friends." 

Now  it  is  a  custom  among  these  people  of 
the  cold  lands  that  when  a  seal  is  killed  the 
successful  hunter  at  once  cuts  away  a  portion 
of  blubber,  and  divides  it  among  the  rest  of 
the  party.  Etu,  therefore,  pulled  the  dead 
seal  close  to  his  boat,  drew  out  the  spear  and 


7<3      Our  Little  Eskimo  Cousin 

harpoon,  and  coiled  the  cord  attached  to  it. 
After  putting  these  in  their  proper  places  on 
the  deck  of  the  kayak,  he  cut  away  the 
blubber,  and  proudly  distributed  the  treat 
among  the  men,  who  by  this  time  had  drawn 
near.  It  was  at  least  noontime,  and  was  the 
first  food  tasted  that  day.  Every  one  praised 
the  boy's  skill,  and  then  all  drew  off  once 
more  to  their  different  stations. 

Before  the  afternoon  was  over,  Etu's  father 
had  secured  two  seals,  and  two  more  were 
killed  by  others  of  the  party.  It  had  been  a 
most  successful  hunt,  although  several  acci- 
dents had  occurred.  One  of  the  seals  cap- 
tured by  Etu's  father  had  succeeded  in  tearing 
the  float  into  shreds  before  he  was  finally 
killed.  Another  of  the  hunters  was  overturned 
and  almost  drowned.  This  was  because  the 
cord  attached  to  the  harpoon  had  caught  in 
a  strap  on  the  deck  as  it  was  running  out. 
The  wounded  seal   dragged  him  along  as   it 


The  Seal  Hunt  71 

plunged,  before  he  had  a  chance  to  free  his 
boat. 

Over  they  went,  man  and  boat,  and  only 
the  keel  of  the  kayak  could  be  seen.  The 
seal,  too,  was  out  of  sight.  Did  it  see  the 
man  ?  was  it  attacking  him  below  the  surface 
of  the  water? 

Three  of  the  man's  companions  paddled 
rapidly  toward  the  overturned  boat.  One  of 
them  reached  his  arm  down  under  the  water 
and,  giving  a  skilful  jerk  to  the  man's  arm, 
brought  him  up  suddenly  on  even  keel.  An- 
other of  the  party  cut  the  cord  with  his  spear. 
Still  a  third  found  the  paddle,  of  which  he  had 
lost  hold,  and  gave  it  into  his  hands.  Then 
all  started  off  in  pursuit  of  the  seal  as  though 
nothing  had  happened. 

You  must  ask  Etu  to  tell  you  more  of  the 
wonderful  doings  of  that  first  ocean  hunt. 
He  will  never  forget  even  the  smallest  thing 
which  happened  on  that  day. 


72      Our  Little  Eskimo  Cousin 

It  was  near  night  when  the  party  started 
homeward,  and  three  good  hours  of  paddling 
were  before  them.  At  length,  however,  the 
shore  came  into  view.  Nearer  and  nearer  it 
looked  to  the  tired  workers.  And  yes  !  there 
were  the  women  waiting  and  watching,  ready 
for  the  good  news. 

Etu  was  not  the  first  to  land,  for  you  re- 
member he  had  a  seal  in  tow,  and  those  who 
are  so  burdened  cannot  travel  as  quickly  over 
the  water  as  others  who  have  no  extra  weight. 
He  travelled  homeward  beside  his  father's  still 
more  heavily  laden  boat ;  while  both  the  man 
and  his  son  pictured  the  mother's  delight  at 
Etu's  success. 

As  the  boats  landed,  one  by  one,  the  men 
jumped  out,  and  started  for  home  with  their 
weapons.  The  women  would  draw  up  the 
boats  into  safe  places.  They  would  also  dis- 
pose of  the  seals.  The  men's  work  was  done, 
and  nothing  was  left  for  them  now  except  to 


The  Seal  Hunt  73 

sit  around  the  oil  lamp,  eat,  and  tell  stories 
of  the  day's  adventures.  This  very  night 
there  would  be  a  seal  feast  at  Etu's  home,  and 
hours  would  be  given  up  to  eating  and  making 
merry. 


CHAPTER  VII. 


FEAST    AND    FUN. 


It  did  not  take  long  for  the  hunters  to 
exchange  their  wet  clothing  for  dry  garments. 
Then  with  their  wives  and  children  they  gath- 
ered in  the  home  of  their  chief. 

"  How  could  the  feast  be  prepared  so 
quickly  ?  "  we  ask  in  surprise.  If  we  could 
have  been  there  we  should  not  have  wondered 
very  long. 

The  people  squatted  on  the  floor  in  a  circle. 
Etu  and  his  father  stood  in  their  midst  with 
big  knives,  ready  to  cut  up  the  seals  lying 
before  them.  Hungry  as  they  were,  they 
must  not  eat  yet.  Something  important  must 
be  done  first. 

The  Eskimos  have    many  strange    beliefs. 

74 


Feast  and  Fun  75 

They  think  there  is  a  spirit  in  everything,  — 
the  rock,  the  snow,  the  wind,  the  very  air  has 
its  spirit.  The  seal,  therefore,  has  its  spirit, 
too,  and  must  be  treated  respectfully. 

Etu's  father  solemnly  sprinkled  water  on 
the  body,  while  every  one  watched  him  in 
silence.  It  was  an  offering  to  the  animal's 
spirit.  He  next  carefully  cut  away  the  skin 
and  showed  the  thick  layer  of  blubber  beneath. 
The  eyes  of  the  company  sparkled  with  de- 
light. Many  funny  faces  were  made  as  each 
in  turn  received  a  huge  chunk  of  raw  blubber. 

Please  don't  shudder  at  the  thought  of 
eating  it.  White  travellers  among  the  Eski- 
mos tell  us  it  is  really  very  good,  and  tastes 
much  like  fresh  cream.  It  is  only  after  it  has 
been  kept  for  a  long  time  that  it  begins  to 
taste  rancid  and  fishy. 

After  the  blubber  had  been  divided  among 
the  company,  the  bodies  of  the  two  seals  were 
opened,   and    the    blood    scooped    out.       It 


76      Our  Little  Eskimo  Cousin 

seemed  truly  delicious  to  the  hungry  visitors. 
The  last  course  of  the  feast  consisted  of  the 
seal's  ribs,  which  were  picked  until  nothing 
was  left  save  the  bones. 

How  the  people  did  eat !  How  they  en- 
joyed the  dainties  served  to  them  !  There 
were  many  stories  told  by  those  who  could 
stop  long  enough  to  talk.  Etu  was  asked, 
over  and  over  again,  to  describe  how  he  killed 
his  first  seal.  And  each  time  the  movements 
of  his  face,  as  well  as  his  arms  and  hands, 
seemed  to  express  as  much  as  the  words 
themselves. 

At  this  strange  feast,  for  which  no  cooking 
was  needed,  the  women  were  not  served  first, 
as  in  our  own  land.  It  was  the  men  who  were 
first  thought  of,  and  who  received  the  choicest 
pieces.  But  Etu  did  not  forget  his  mother, 
and  looked  out  to  see  that  she  was  well 
served. 

When  the  feast  was  over  at  last,  all  joined 


Feast  and  Fun  77 

in  a  song.  There  were  only  a  few  notes,  and 
these  were  repeated  over  and  over  again ;  but 
the  party  must  have  enjoyed  it,  or  they  would 
not  have  sung  it  so  many  times. 

At  last  the  moon  shone  down  upon  them, 
and  Etu's  mother  hastened  to  draw  the  seal- 
skin curtain.  For  her  people  dread  the  power 
of  the  moon,  and  do  not  willingly  sit  in  its 
light.  It  is  a  wonderful  being,  and  Etu  has 
been  taught  that  it  brings  the  cold  weather 
to  his  people.  How  is  this  possible  ?  Why, 
as  it  dwells  afar  off  in  the  sky,  it  whittles  the 
tusk  of  a  walrus.  In  some  wonderful  way 
the  shavings  are  changed  into  the  snow  which 
falls  in  great  sheets  over  the  earth. 

By  this  time  the  party  began  to  think  of 
going  home.  They  must  prepare  for  another 
"sleep,"  they  said,  and  the  people  of  the 
house  were  soon  left  to  themselves. 

Etu  does  not  count  time  as  we  do.  He 
speaks  of  a  "  moon  "  ago,  instead  of  a  month. 


78      Our  Little  Eskimo  Cousin 

Yesterday  is  the  period  before  the  last  "  sleep," 
and  the  years  are  counted  by  the  winters.  A 
fresh  notch  is  cut  in  the  wall  of  his  winter 
home  when  the  family  leave  it  for  their  sum- 
mer's travels.  That  is  the  only  way  his 
people  have  to  keep  account  of  the  passing 
time.  They  do  not  write  or  read,  except  as 
they  are  taught  by  their  white  visitors,  and 
Etu  has  never  seen  a  book  in  his  life. 

The  boy's  father  has  shown  him  how  to 
make  good  maps  of  the  coast.  They  are  very 
neat,  and  are  measured  so  exactly  that  every 
island  and  point  of  land  are  correctly  marked 
for  many  miles.  They  are  drawn  with  the 
burnt  ends  of  sticks  on  smooth  pieces  of  drift- 
wood, but  if  you  ever  visit  Etu,  you  can  trust 
to  them  in  exploring  the  country. 

On  the  day  after  the  feast  the  other  seals 
were  divided  evenly  among  all  the  people  in 
the  village.  The  successful  hunters  did  not 
once    dream   of  keeping  them    for  their  own 


Feast  and  Fun  79 

families.  What!  have  a  fine  dinner  your- 
self, while  others  around  you  go  hungry ! 
It  was  not  to  be  thought  of.  All  must  share 
alike. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


HARD    TIMES. 


Time  passed  by.  The  weather  was  terribly- 
cold,  even  for  these  people.  The  hunters 
went  out  on  the  ocean  whenever  it  was  safe  to 
venture,  but  the  seals  and  walruses  were  very 
scarce.  They  had  probably  gone  in  search  of 
warmer  waters. 

At  this  very  time  their  winter  stores  were 
all  stolen.  Whenever  there  is  an  extra  supply 
on  hand,  it  is  hidden  in  a  deep  hole  under- 
ground, so  that  neither  wild  animals  nor  dogs 
can  reach  it.  Such  a  place  for  stores  is  called 
a  cache  by  our  western  hunters  and  trappers. 

One  night  Etu  was  wakened  by  a  great 
noise  outside.  In  a  moment  the  whole  house- 
hold  was    aroused.       They    heard    the    dogs 

80 


Hard  Times  81 

howling  and  rushing  around.  There  was  cer- 
tainly a  fight  of  some  kind.  Etu  and  his 
father  were  dressed  in  a  moment,  as  well  as 
two  other  men  who  shared  the  home. 

"  Wolves  !  It  is  a  pack  of  wolves,"  cried  the 
women.  "  Don't  go  out  and  leave  us ;  it  is 
not  safe." 

But  the  men  only  seized  their  spears  and 
moved  as  quickly  as  possible  down  the  passage- 
way. They  must  go  to  the  aid  of  the  dogs, 
who  had  been  left  outdoors  for  the  night. 
They  also  thought  of  their  precious  stores. 
The  wolves  had  probably  scented  the  place  and 
were  then  attacked  by  the  dogs. 

In  a  short  time  the  men  returned  to  the 
frightened  household.  They  were  all  safe. 
The  wolves  had  fled,  but  the  harm  had  already 
been  done.  Not  a  scrap  of  the  precious  stores 
remained.  The  dogs  had  finished  what  the 
wolves  left  behind  them.  It  was  the  quarrel- 
ing of  the  dogs  themselves  over  the  food  that 


82      Our  Little  Eskimo  Cousin 

had  wakened  the  people.  It  was  plain,  how- 
ever, that  the  wolves  had  been  there,  because 
the  dead  body  of  one  of  them  lay  close  by  the 
storehouse.  The  dogs  had  been  more  than  a 
match  for  them. 

There  was  nothing  for  Etu  and  his  people 
to  eat  that  day.  There  was  scarcely  any  oil 
in  the  lamps.  The  women  and  children  tried 
to  keep  warm  beneath  the  piles  of  furs ;  the 
men  went  out  to  search  along  the  shore  for 
seal  holes. 

Our  brave  little  Etu  looked  upon  himself 
as  a  man  now.  So,  leading  his  brightest  dog 
by  a  cord,  he  started  out  in  search  of  prey. 
The  dog  had  a  wonderfully  keen  scent.  He 
would  help  in  finding  the  hiding-place  of  a 
seal,  if  there  were  one  to  be  found. 

You  may  not  know  what  a  queer  home  the 
mother  seal  makes  for  her  baby.  She  chooses 
a  place  on  the  solid  ice  that  is  covered  with  a 
deep  layer  of  snow.     She  scrapes   away    the 


Hard  Times  83 

snow  and  carries  it  down  through  a  hole  in 
the  ice  into  the  water  below.  When  her  work 
is  done,  she  has  a  dome-shaped  house.  The 
floor  is  the  icy  shelf,  from  which  there  is  a 
passageway  to  the  water  beneath.  There  is 
a  tiny  breathing-place  in  the  snowy  roof  to 
which  she  turns  when  needing  air. 

The  baby  seal  is  born  in  this  strange  home. 
He  lies  here  and  sleeps  most  of  the  time  till 
he  is  old  enough  to  take  care  of  himself.  His 
mother  often  visits  him.  She  hopes  his  enemies 
will  not  find  him.  But  the  bear,  the  fox,  and 
the  Eskimo  dog,  are  watching  for  signs  of  just 
such  hiding-places  as  these.  Their  scent  is 
keen  and  they  discover  the  tiny  breathing- 
holes  when  men  and  boys  would  pass  them  by. 
This  is  why  Etu  took  his  dog  along  with 
him. 

Perhaps  you  wonder  why  Etu  did  not  let 
Vanya  run  free.  He  only  wished  him  to  find 
a  seal  hole;  the  boy  would  do  the  hunting 


84      Our  Little  Eskimo  Cousin 

himself.  The  dog,  if  left  alone,  might  succeed 
in  scaring  away  the  old  seal ;  and  Etu  wished 
to  get  both  the  baby  and  its  mother. 

The  boy  tramped  for  many  hours.  Re- 
member, he  had  no  breakfast  this  morning, 
yet  he  went  with  a  bright  face  and  a  stout 
heart.  When  night  came,  Etu  was  still  brave 
and  cheerful,  although  he  had  met  with  no 
success.  He  went  home  and  found  the  men 
just  returning.     They  also  had  failed. 

They  could  expect  no  supper,  nor  fire  to 
warm  them,  after  the  long  day's  tramp  in  the 
bitter  cold,  but  they  must  not  show  sadness ; 
they  must  keep  up  stout  hearts  for  the  sake 
of  the  women  and  children. 

After  all,  there  was  a  surprise  waiting  for 
Etu.  His  mother  had  used  the  last  bit  of 
oil  in  thawing  a  little  snow  to  give  the 
household  some  water  to  drink.  And,  besides 
this,  there  was  a  scrap  of  seal  hide  for  each 
one  to  chew.     Tough  as  it  was,  it  was  received 


Hard  Times  85 

as  though  it  were  the  greatest  dainty  in  the 
world. 

After  this  meal,  if  it  could  be  called  one, 
Etu  crept  into  bed,  and  was  soon  sound  asleep. 
Morning  came,  and  our  little  cousin  started 
out  once  more  in  search  of  food.  But  he  had 
no  better  success  than  the  day  before.  When 
he  got  home  at  night  there  was  good  news 
awaiting  him,  although  it  did  not  bring  any 
supper. 

His  father  had  found  a  seal-hole,  and  had 
said  to  the  other  men,  "  I  will  not  leave  my 
place  till  I  can  bring  food  for  my  hungry 
people."  They  left  him,  and  went  back  to 
the  village  to  tell  his  waiting  household.  His 
good  wife  at  once  got  a  heavy  fur  robe,  and 
sent  it  back  to  her  patient  husband.  He 
could  wrap  it  about  his  feet,  as  he  sat  watching 
in  the  cold. 

Perhaps  it  would  be  only  a  short  time 
before  he  would  hear  the  mother  seal   blow- 


86      Our  Little  Eskimo  Cousin 

ing  at  the  hole  below.  But,  again,  hours 
might  pass  before  she  would  come  back  to 
nurse  her  baby.  Yet  the  man  must  watch  and 
be  ready  to  pierce  the  breathing-hole  with  his 
long  spear  at  any  moment,  —  it  was  his  only 
chance  of  killing  the  mother. 

The  long  hours  of  the  night  passed ;  the 
morning,  too,  was  gone,  when,  suddenly,  the 
quick  ears  of  the  hunter  heard  the  welcome 
sound.  And  now,  a  second  blow !  the  seal's 
head  must  be  close  to  the  hole.  Like  a  flash, 
down  went  the  waiting  spear,  and  fastened 
itself  through  the  nose  of  the  seal.  If  it  had 
turned  a  half-inch  in  its  course,  it  would  have 
failed  in  its  work. 

There  was  a  violent  pull  at  the  spear,  as  the 
seal  darted  down  through  the  passage  from  her 
icy  home  to  the  water  below.  But  the  hunter 
had  a  long  rope  fastened  to  the  spear,  and  he 
let  it  run  out  quickly.  Then,  brushing  away 
the  snowy  roof,  he  jumped  down  on  the  floor 


Hard  Times  87 

of  the  "igloo."  With  two  or  three  strong 
pulls  he  brought  up  the  struggling  seal,  and 
quickly  ended  her  life.  It  was  an  easy  matter 
to  dispose  of  the  frightened  baby. 

What  a  prize  he  had  gained !  He  did  not 
think  of  his  frost-bitten  nose,  nor  of  his  empty 
stomach.  He  only  pictured  the  joy  of  the 
waiting  people  when  he   should   reach   home. 

When  the  hard-earned  supper  was  set 
before  them,  you  cannot  guess  what  was 
the  greatest  dainty  of  all.  It  was  the  milk 
inside  the  baby  seal's  stomach  !  It  was  sweet 
and  delicate  in  its  taste,  and  was  much  like 
the  milk  from  a  green  cocoanut. 

There  were  many  other  hard  times  before 
that  winter  was  over,  but  Etu  did  his  part 
bravely,  and  no  one  died  of  want. 

One  day  the  boy  hunted  a  seal  bear-fashion, 
and  was  successful,  too.  He  had  learned 
many  lessons  from  this  wise  creature,  and  he 
did    not    forget   them.     The   polar   bear,   so 


88      Our  Little  Eskimo  Cousin 

strong  and  fierce,  is  also  very  cunning.  If 
he  discovers  a  dark  spot  far  away  on  the  ice, 
he  seems  to  say  to  himself,  "  Ah  !  there  is  a 
seal  asleep.  I  will  deceive  him,  and  catch  him 
for  my  dinner."  So  he  creeps,  or,  rather, 
hitches  along,  with  his  fore  feet  curled  beneath 
him.  Nearer  and  nearer  he  draws  to  his  prey. 
And  now  the  sleeping  seal  awakes.  Is  there 
danger  ?  But  the  bear  at  once  stops  mov- 
ing, and  makes  a  low,  strange  sound.  It 
is  different  from  his  usual  voice.  The  seal 
listens,  and  is  charmed.  He  turns  his  head 
from  side  to  side,  and  then  is  quite  still  once 
more.  The  bear  creeps  nearer  now ;  once 
more  the  seal  starts,  but  is  again  charmed 
by  the  strange  sound.  Suddenly  he  is  caught 
in  those  powerful  claws,  and  the  long,  sharp 
teeth  fasten  themselves  in  his  body.  In  a 
moment  it  is  all  over  with  the  poor  seal. 

This  is  one  of  the  lessons  Etu  learned  from 
Ninoo,  the   bear.      He   followed  his    teacher 


" 


"  ETU    STOPPED    MOVING    AND    LAY    QUITE    STILL  " 


Hard  Times  89 

well  when  one  day  he,  too,  saw  a  dark  spot 
on  the  shore,  quite  a  distance  away.  Holding 
his  spear  beneath  him,  he  crouched  down  on 
the  snow,  and  jerked  himself  along.  For 
some  time  the  seal  was  not  aroused.  Then, 
opening  his  eyes,  he  must  have  thought :  "  Is 
that  a  brother  seal  over  there  ?  His  coat  is 
like  mine."  Still  he  watched,  for  a  seal  is 
easily  frightened.  Etu  stopped  moving  and 
lay  quite  still. 

"  No,  there  is  no  danger,"  thought  the  seal ; 
and  he  closed  his  eyes  again. 

Once  more  Etu  began  to  move,  and  drew 
quite  near  before  the  seal  stirred  again.  But 
now  the  creature  seemed  to  question  himself 
once  more. 

"  Is  it  a  friend,  or  is  it  one  of  my  terrible 
enemies  ? " 

He  was  about  to  dart  away  when  Etu  began 
to  make  a  low,  strange  sound.  You  would 
have  thought  it  was  the  bear  himself,  he  was 


90      Our  Little  Eskimo  Cousin 

imitated  so  well.     The  seal   seemed  pleased, 
and  did  not  stir  again. 

Before  another  five  minutes  the  young 
hunter  had  killed  his  victim.  He  hurried 
homeward  with  the  heavy  burden  flung  over 
his  broad  shoulders.  You  can  imagine  how 
proud  his  mother  felt  when  he  appeared  in 
the  doorway  of  the  house  and  showed  his 
prize  of  the  morning. 


CHAPTER   IX. 

AN    ESKIMO    CHRISTMAS. 

Not  long  after  this  Etu's  people  celebrated 
a  festival.  It  was  about  Christmas  time,  but 
the  boy  had  never  heard  of  our  own  great 
holiday.  Yet  his  own  Christmas  always  means 
very  much  to  him. 

All  the  people  of  the  village  met  together 
on  a  certain  evening  in  Etu's  home.  The 
medicine-man  was  there,  and  made  a  sort  of 
prayer.  He  prayed  that  all  might  go  well 
with  the  people  during  the  coming  year. 
This  medicine-man  is  the  priest  as  well  as 
the  doctor  among  the  Eskimos.  After  the 
prayer  there  was  a  feast.  The  hunters  had 
done  their  best,  and  had  managed  to  get  a 
good  supply  of  seal  meat  on  hand. 

91 


92      Our  Little  Eskimo  Cousin 

The  next  day  after  the  feast,  men,  women, 
and  children  gathered  together  in  a  circle  in 
the  open  air.  A  vessel  of  watef  had  been 
placed  in  their  midst.  Each  one  brought  a 
piece  of  meat  with  him.  No  one  spoke  while 
it  was  being  eaten,  but  each  thought  of  his 
good  spirit,  and  wished  for  good  things. 
Then  each  in  turn  took  a  drink  of  water 
from  the  vessel.  As  he  did  so  he  spoke, 
telling  when  and  where  he  was  born. 

When  this  ceremony  was  over,  all  threw 
presents  to  each  other.  They  believed  they 
would  receive  good  things  from  the  good 
spirits  if  they  were  generous  at  this  time. 

Soon  after  this  festival  came  New  Year's. 
This,  too,  was  a  strange  celebration. 

Two  men,  one  of  them  dressed  as  a  woman, 
went  from  hut  to  hut  blowing  out  the  flame 
in  each  lamp.  It  must  be  lighted  from  a 
fresh  fire. 

The  people  believe  there  is  a  new  sun  in 


An  Eskimo  Christmas         93 

the  heavens  at  the  beginning  of  each  new 
year.  They  think  they  ought  to  picture  this 
great  change  in  their  own  homes. 

The  year  was  a  moon  old,  as  Etu  would 
say,  when  one  day  he  was  out  hunting  for  seal- 
holes  with  his  father.  They  brought  a  pack 
of  dogs  along  with  them.  These  had  just 
been  loosened  for  a  run  when  they  darted  off 
as  though  they  had  found  a  fresh  scent  They 
rushed  toward  a  great  bank  of  snow  on  the 
side  of  a  high  rock. 

Surely  it  was  no  seal-hole  they  had  dis- 
covered. The  small  opening  on  the  surface 
of  the  snow  showed  that  it  was  the  breathing- 
place  of  a  polar  bear.  The  mother  bear  eats 
vast  quantities  of  food  at  the  beginning  of 
winter ;  then  she  seeks  a  sheltered  spot  at  the 
foot  of  some  rock,  and  begins  her  long  rest. 
The  snow  falls  in  great  drifts  over  her.  This 
makes  a  warm,  close  house.  Does  it  seem  as 
though  she  must  die  for  want  of  air  ?     There 


94      Our  Little  Eskimo  Cousin 

is  no  danger  of  this,  for  the  breath  from  her 
great  body  thaws  enough  snow  around  her  to 
form  a  small  room.  It  also  makes  a  sort  of 
chimney  through  the  snow,  to  the  air  above. 

The  baby  bear  is  born  in  this  house  of 
snow,  and  there  he  stays  with  his  mother  till 
old  enough  to  hunt  for  himself. 

It  was  the  home  of  a  mother  bear,  then, 
that  the  dogs  had  discovered.  They  were 
wildly  excited,  for  Eskimo  dogs  are  no  cow- 
ards. They  love  a  bear  hunt  hugely.  They 
rushed  upon  the  opening  and  quickly  pushed 
away  the  snow.  Etu  and  his  father  stood  on 
the  watch  for  the  mother  bear  and  her  cub  to 
appear.  They  were  as  much  excited  as  the 
dogs,  but  stood  with  spears  in  hand,  perfectly 
still. 

Look  out  now  !  for  here  they  come.  What 
a  tiny  little  thing  the  baby  bear  is  !  It  is  like 
a  little  puppy.  It  would  be  easy  to  end  its 
life,  but   Etu   knows   that  would  not  be  safe. 


An  Eskimo  Christmas  95 

It  would  make  the  mother  a  hundred  time 
more  dangerous. 

The  great  creature  looks  now  in  one  direc- 
tion, now  in  another.  It  would  not  be  hard 
for  her  to  escape ;  but  she  will  not  leave  her 
cub.  So  she  rushes  madly  toward  Etu's 
father.  The  dogs  jump  around  her,  biting  at 
her  heels.  She  does  not  seem  even  to  notice 
them.  Look  at  the  long  sharp  teeth  as  she 
opens  her  mouth  for  a  spring  upon  the  man. 
One  blow  of  her  paws  would  knock  him  sense- 
less. But  he  does  not  fear.  He  jumps  to 
one  side  and  dodges  the  blow.  At  the  same 
time,  he  strikes  at  her  throat  with  his  long 
spear. 

The  blood  gushes  forth  and  she  staggers. 
However,  she  shakes  herself  together  with  a 
great  effort  and  rises  on  her  hind  legs  to  strike 
again.  The  pack  of  dogs  surround  her  and 
keep  biting  at  her  legs,  but  the  man  would  not 
be   able  to   escape  if  Etu   did  not    suddenly 


96      Our  Little  Eskimo  Cousin 

come  up  behind.  He  plunges  his  own  spear  far 
into  her  side.  She  gives  one  fearful  groan  and 
falls  to  the  ground.  No  hunter  will  ever  be 
troubled  by  her  again. 

The  poor  little  cub  runs  to  its  mother's 
side,  giving  piteous  cries.  But  no  one  is  left 
now  to  pity  and  love  it,  so  its  life  is  mercifully 
and  quickly  ended.  The  men  and  dogs  are 
soon  on  their  homeward  way.  They  must  get 
sledges  and  go  back  quickly  for  the  bodies  of  the 
two  bears.  Suppose  that  while  they  were  gone 
another  party  of  Eskimos  should  come  along, 
need  they  fear  their  prey  would  be  stolen  ? 
The  thought  does  not  enter  their  heads,  for 
such  a  thing  has  never  been  known  to  happen 
among  their  people.  They  are  honest  in  all 
ways,  and  would  not  touch  that  which  they 
believe  to  be  another's. 


CHAPTER  X. 


SUMMER    TRAVELS. 


The  long  winter  was  over  at  last,  and  Etu's 
people  got  ready  to  leave  their  underground 
homes.  They  would  spend  the  first  spring 
days  farther  up  the  coast,  and  closer  still  to 
the  water's  side ;  for  there  they  could  watch 
the  seal-holes  more  easily. 

The  household  goods  were  packed  on  the 
sledges,  and  Etu  said  good-bye  to  his  winter 
home  for  four  months.  The  men  walked 
along,  guiding  the  dogs,  while  the  women  and 
children  rode  in  the  sledges.  They  travelled 
nearly  all  day  before  they  came  to  a  place 
where  they  wished  to  settle.  But  the  weather 
was  even  now  bitterly  cold.  The  snow  stiH 
covered  the  earth,  and  the  water  along  the 
shore  was  a  mass  of  broken  ice. 

97 


98      Our  Little  Eskimo  Cousin 

Where  were  these  people  to  be  sheltered 
when  night  came  on  ?  The  question  could  be 
easily  answered.  They  would  build  homes  for 
themselves  in  an  hour  or  two.  The  sheets  of 
snow  around  them  were  quite  solid,  and  the 
boys  and  men  began  to  saw  the  snow  into 
thick  blocks.  The  walls  and  roofs  of  the 
houses  should  be  built  of  these. 

Two  men  stood  in  the  centre  of  each  cleared 
space  :  the  blocks  of  snow  were  handed  to 
them.  These  were  laid  on  the  ground,  side 
by  side,  in  a  circle  as  large  as  they  wished  the 
house  to  be.  The  foundation  was  quickly 
made.  Then  another  row  of  snow  blocks  was 
laid  above  the  first,  but  drawn  in  toward  the 
centre  a  very  little.  Then  came  a  third  row, 
and  so  on,  till  at  last  there  was  just  space 
enough  at  the  top  for  one  block  of  snow  to 
fill  it  in  completely.  The  new  house  looked 
like  a  great  snow  beehive. 

But  the  two  builders  were  shut  up  inside ! 


THE    BLOCKS    OF    SNOW    WERE    HANDED    TO    THEM  " 


Summer  Travels  99 

One  of  the  men  on  the  outside  cut  a  block  of 
snow  out  of  the  wall  of  the  house.  This  made 
a  doorway  through  which  people  could  go  and 
come.  It  could  be  closed  afterward,  when  the 
inmates  desired,  by  filling  it  again  with  a  snow 
door. 

The  builders  now  took  loose  snow  and 
sifted  it  into  the  cracks  and  crevices  to  make 
the  house  quite  close  and  tight. 

After  this,  the  floor  must  be  trodden  down 
smooth,  and  then  the  women  could  enter  to 
set  up  housekeeping.  A  bed  of  snow  was 
quickly  made,  over  which  the  fur  rugs  were 
thrown.  Next,  a  stand  of  snow  was  shaped, 
and  the  lamp  set  up  in  its  place.  The  oil  was 
soon  burning  brightly,  and  snow  was  melted  to 
furnish  drinking-water.  In  half  an  hour  more 
our  cousin  Etu  was  eating  supper  as  comfort- 
ably as  he  could  wish.  Not  long  after,  he 
was  sound  asleep  on  his  snow  bedstead, 
without    a    single    dream  of  cold    or   trouble. 


ioo    Our  Little  Eskimo  Cousin 

After  a  few  weeks  of  seal  hunting,  Etu 
noticed  that  the  birds  were  returning.  There 
were  great  numbers  of  them,  —  wild  ducks, 
geese,  and  sea-birds  of  many  kinds. 

The  ice  began  to  disappear,  and  it  was  great 
sport  to  paddle  his  boat  over  to  the  islands 
near  the  shore,  and  shoot  a  bagful  of  birds 
for  dinner.  But  sometimes  he  stayed  in  his 
boat,  and,  moving  slowly  along  the  shore, 
would  throw  his  bird-dart  at  ducks  as  they 
flew  by.  His  aim  was  straight  and  true,  and 
he  was  almost  sure  to  be  successful. 

Spring  changed  suddenly  into  summer,  and 
now  the  snow  house  must  be  left,  for  Etu 
and  his  people  were  ready  to  move  again. 
Besides,  the  walls  of  the  house  grew  soft,  and 
would  soon  melt  away. 

Where  would  Etu  travel  next?  you  ask. 
He  would  answer : 

"  Not  far  from  here  there  is  a  broad  river 
where  great  numbers  of  salmon  live  during  the 


Summer  Travels  101 

warm  weather.  It  is  great  sport  catching  the 
fish.  Now  we  can  have  so  much  rich  food 
that  we  can  all  grow  fat." 

Once  more  the  dogs  were  harnessed,  and 
the  spring  camping-ground  was  left  behind, 
as  the  Eskimo  party  journeyed  southward. 
When  the  river  was  reached,  new  homes  must 
be  made  ready.  But  what  material  would  be 
used  now?  There  were  no  trees  to  furnish 
wood,  for  the  forests  were  still  hundreds  of 
miles  south  of  them,  and  snow  at  this  time 
of  the  year  was  out  of  the  question. 

But  Etu's  people  were  well  prepared,  for 
they  took  their  supply  of  skins,  and  quickly 
made  tents  out  of  them.  It  was  still  so  cold 
that  a  double  row  of  skins  must  be  used  to 
keep  out  the  sharp  winds. 

And  now  they  were  ready  for  the  happiest 
part  of  the  whole  year.  They  need  not  fear 
hunger  for  a  long  time  to  come.  Plenty  of 
fish  in  the  river,  plenty  of  birds  in  the  air, 


102    Our  Little  Eskimo  Cousin 

birds'  eggs,  which  the  bright  eyes  of  the  boys 
and  girls  would  discover ;  and,  besides  all 
these  dainties,  they  would  get  stores  of  rein- 
deer meat. 

"  How  could  any  one  be  any  happier  than 
I  ? "  thought  Etu,  and  he  smiled  a  broad 
smile,    making   a   funny    face    to    express    his 

joy- 
In  another  country  of  the  world  as  far  north 

as  Etu  lives,  the  Laplander  has  herds  of  tame 

reindeer.     They  are  driven  as  Etu  drives  his 

dogs.     They  give  sweet  milk,  too. 

Etu  has  never  heard  of  these  people,  but  he 

has  been  told  that  there  is  a  place  in  his  own 

country  where  his  kind  American  friends  have 

brought  some    of  these    tame    reindeer    from 

Lapland.     Great   care    is    taken    of  them,   so 

they    will  grow   and   get  used   to    their    new 

home.       It   will    be   a   fine   thing    for    Etu's 

people  to   have   these  tame   reindeer  and    be 

able  to  get  fresh  milk  during  the  long  winter, 


Summer  Travels  103 

as  well  as  tame  animals  that  will  supply  them 
with  food  when  they  are  in  danger  of  starving. 

But  Etu  busies  himself  now  with  setting 
traps  for  the  wild  reindeer  which  begin  to 
appear  in  the  country  as  summer  opens. 
They  have  spent  the  winter  in  the  forests 
far  away,  but  as  the  heat  of  the  sun  begins 
to  melt  the  snow,  they  travel  toward  the 
shores  of  the  ocean. 

Here  the  baby  reindeer  are  born.  They 
are  tiny,  weak  little  creatures  at  first ;  but  they 
grow  fast,  and  in  a  few  days  are  able  to  take 
care  of  themselves,  and  get  their  own  food. 

The  reindeer  have  a  wonderfully  keen  sense 
of  smell.  Even  when  the  ground  is  covered 
with  a  deep  layer  of  snow,  they  seem  able  to 
tell  where  the  lichens  and  mosses  are  living 
beneath  it.  No  one  has  ever  seen  a  reindeer 
make  a  mistake  in  this  matter.  When  he 
begins  to  paw  away  the  snow  with  his  broad, 
stout  hoofs,  you  may  be  sure  he  has  discov- 


104    0ur  Little  Eskimo  Cousin 

ered  a  good  dinner  for  himself.  The  lichens 
are  tender  and  white,  and  taste  somewhat  like 
wheat  bran.  It  is  no  wonder  the  reindeer 
grows  fat  on  this  plentiful  food. 

Etu  hunts  the  reindeer  in  several  different 
ways.  Sometimes  when  he  is  out  on  the 
watch  for  them  he  hears  a  great  clattering. 
It  may  be  a  long  way  off,  and  he  cannot  see 
a  living  thing,  yet  he  knows  what  that  sound 
means.  It  is  the  hoofs  of  the  reindeer  as  they 
come  pounding  along. 

He  lies  down  and  keeps  very  still.  He 
watches  closely,  however,  to  see  if  the  reindeer 
are  coming  in  his  direction.  If  he  finds  this 
to  be  so,  he  keeps  in  the  same  position  and 
waits  till  they  have  passed  by  him  and  are 
headed  for  the  shore. 

Then  he  jumps  up  suddenly,  and  chases 
them  with  fury.  They  get  confused,  and  rush 
onward  in  disorder.  On  he  follows  till  they 
reach  the  water's  side,  where  they  plunge  madly 


Summer  Travels  105 

in.  They  are  good  swimmers,  but  are  so 
frightened  that  Etu  is  easily  able  to  secure  at 
least  one  of  them. 

Sometimes  our  Eskimo  cousin  goes  a  long 
way  over  the  plains,  and  with  his  father's  help 
digs  a  deep  pit  in  the  earth.  They  cover  it 
over  with  brushwood.  If  a  herd  of  reindeer 
should  travel  in  this  direction,  some  of  them 
would  fall  into  the  pit  and  break  their  slender 
legs.  It  would  be  an  easy  matter  then  to 
come  and  get  them. 

But  there  is  another  way  that  Etu  likes  best 
of  all.  Soon  after  he  came  to  his  summer 
home  he  hunted  about  over  the  country  till 
he  had  chosen  a  spot  where  the  reindeer  were 
likely  to  come.  Here  he  built  a  sort  of  fort, 
or  wall,  out  of  stones.  He  could  hide  behind 
this  wall,  and  watch  for  his  game  without  their 
being  able  to  see  him.  He  spent  many  days 
of  the  summer  in  this  place  with  one  of  his 
boy  friends.     They  would  sit  there  talking,  or 


106    Our  Little  Eskimo  Cousin 

playing  some  quiet  game,  but  their  bows  and 
arrows  were  always  ready  ;  and  their  eyes  ever 
on  the  lookout  for  the  reindeer  who  might 
come  that  way  at  any  moment. 

Many  times,  of  course,  they  met  with  no 
success ;  but  many  times,  too,  they  took  a 
herd  by  surprise,  and  were  able  to  carry  home 
a  goodly  feast  to  their  friends  and  relatives. 

Reindeer  meat  is  tender  and  sweet,  the 
marrow  and  tongue  being  the  parts  best  liked 
by  Etu's  people.  But  the  most  delicious  food 
Etu  ever  puts  into  his  mouth  is  the  contents 
of  a  reindeer's  stomach !  We  must  not  be 
shocked  at  this,  though  it  does  seem  a  queer 
thing  to  eat,  doesn't  it  ?  The  reason  Etu 
likes  it  so  well  is  probably  this :  the  food  of 
the  reindeer  is  moss  ;  when  it  has  entered  his 
stomach  it  has  a  slightly  acid  taste,  so  it  gives 
a  relish  the  people  cannot  often  get.  Besides, 
it  belongs  to  the  vegetable  kingdom,  and  Etu's 
people,  we  know,  do  not  have  the  pleasure  of 


Summer  Travels  107 

eating  corn,  potatoes,  and  other  delicious  fruits 
of  the  earth,  so  commonly  used  by  us  that  we 
hardly  appreciate  them. 

It  was  after  one  of  these  long  days  on  the 
plains  that  Etu  came  home  feeling  quite  ill. 
His  head  ached ;  his  eyes  were  bloodshot ; 
his  hands  and  face  burned  like  fire. 

His  loving  mother  was  quite  worried.  She 
put  her  son  to  bed  at  once,  and  sent  for  the 
medicine-man.  She  got  a  present  of  deer  skins 
ready  to  give  him  as  soon  as  the  great  person 
should  appear. 

After  he  had  accepted  the  deer  skins  the 
doctor  put  on  a  horrible  black  mask ;  then 
he  began  to  move  about  the  tent,  waving  his 
arms  from  side  to  side,  and  repeating  a  charm. 
Do  you  understand  what  he  was  trying  to  do  ? 
He  thought  a  bad  spirit  had  got  hold  of  Etu  ; 
he  believed  the  hideous  mask  and  the  charm 
of  certain  words  would  drive  it  out. 

After  awhile  he  went  away,  and   Etu  was 


108    Our  Little  Eskimo  Cousin 

alone  again  with  his  own  people.  His  fever 
lasted  for  several  days,  but  at  length  it  left 
him,  and  he  grew  well  and  strong  once  more. 
He  believed  the  great  medicine  -  man  had 
healed  him ;  but  we  think  Mother  Nature 
worked  her  own  cure  through  rest  in  his 
own  warm  bed.  The  poor  boy  was  tired  out, 
and  had  caught  a  hard  cold  watching  on  the 
plains. 

As  soon  as  he  was  strong  his  father  said : 
"  The  trading  season  has  come,  for  it  is  al- 
ready two  moons  since  we  made  our  camp. 
We  must  journey  southward  to  the  great  river. 
We  shall  see  our  friends  from  the  western 
coast ;  they  must  have  already  started  to  meet 
us.  Let  us  get  our  furs,  seal  oil,  and  walrus 
tusks  together  to  sell  to  them,  for,  no  doubt, 
they  will  have  many  things  to  give  us  in  ex- 
change. We  greatly  need  some  copper  kettles 
and  tobacco.  Oh,  yes,  let  us  get  ready  as 
soon  as  possible." 


Summer  Travels  109 

Etu  was  delighted  to  hear  these  words. 
Now  would  come  the  merriest  time.  He 
would  have  a  long  journey,  and  he  dearly 
liked  a  change.  But  that  was  not  all.  He 
would  see  new  people,  and  hear  of  new  things ; 
he  would  have  a  chance  to  trade,  and  that 
would  be  great  sport  in  itself. 

Besides  all  these  things,  he  knew  his  people 
would  spend  at  least  ten  days  with  their  friends 
from  the  west ;  and  there  would  be  much 
dancing  and  singing  and  story-telling,  both 
day  and  night.  Hurrah,  then,  for  this  summer 
journey  ! 

You  may  be  sure  Etu  did  his  best  in  pack- 
ing and  making  ready.  In  another  twenty- 
four  hours  there  was  no  sign  left  of  this 
Eskimo  village.  The  dogs,  the  sledges,  and 
the  people  were  all  gone.  Nothing  was  left 
except  a  few  articles  used  in  housekeeping, 
and  these  were  buried  in  an  underground 
storehouse. 


no    Our  Little  Eskimo  Cousin 

If  you  wish  to  hear  more  about  Etu,  and  of 
his  yearly  visit  south ;  if  you  care  to  hear 
about  the  big  whale  he  helped  to  kill  last 
winter,  and  of  his  adventure  with  a  walrus, 
you  must  write  and  ask  him  about  these 
things. 

And  yet,  after  all,  I  fear  he  could  not  read 
the  letter.  You  would  better  go  and  visit 
him.  It  is  well  worth  the  journey,  for  then 
you  can  see  for  yourself  how  a  boy  can  be 
cheerful  and  happy  and  loving,  even  though 
he  lives  in  the  dreariest  part  of  the  whole 
world. 


THE    END. 


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KEEPING  TRYST 

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FAMOUS  CAVALRY  LEADERS.  By  Charles  H. 

L.  Johnston. 

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BORN  TO  THE  BLUE.     By    Florence    Kimball 

RUSSEL. 

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IN  WEST  POINT  GRAY 

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Ada  Clendenin  Williamson.  L 

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THE  ENCHANTED  AUTOMOBILE 

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THE  YOUNG  TRAIN  DISPATCHER.     By  Bur- 
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JACK  LORIMER'S  CHAMPIONS:  Or,  Sports  on 

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CAPTAIN  JINKS:  The  Autobiography  of  a  Shet- 
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girls.  The  story  is  beautifully  written  and  will  take  its 
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THE  RED  FEATHERS.  By  Theodore  Roberts. 
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FLYING   PLOVER.     By  Theodore  Roberts. 

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Squat-By-The-Fire  is  a  very  old  and  wise  Indian  who 

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she  tells  the  stories  each  evening. 

THE  WRECK   OF  THE  OCEAN  QUEEN.    By 

James  Otis,  author  of  "  Larry  Hudson's  Ambition,"  etc. 
Cloth  decorative,  illustrated  ....      $1.50 

"  A  stirring  story  of  wreck  and  mutiny,  which  boys  will 
find  especially  absorbing.  The  many  young  admirers  of 
James  Otis  will  not  let  this  book  escape  them,  for  it  fully 
equals  its  many  predecessors  in  excitement  and  sustained 
interest."  —  Chicago  Evening  Post. 

LITTLE  WHITE  INDIANS.     By  Fannie  E.  Os- 

TRANDER. 

Cloth  decorative,  illustrated  .        •        .  $1.25 

"  A  bright,  interesting  story  which  will  appeal  strongly 

to  the    '  make-believe '    instinct  in   children,   and  will 

give  them  a  healthy,  active  interest  in  'the  simple  life.'" 

MARCHING    WITH    MORGAN.      How    Donald 

LovELii   Became    a   Soldier  op    the   Revolution. 

By  John  L.  Veasy. 

Cloth  decorative,  illustrated         .  .        .      $1.50 

This  is  a  splendid  boy's  story  of  the  expedition  of, 
Montgomery  and  Arnold  against  Quebec 
A— 10 


BOOKS  FOR   YOUNG  PEOPLE 


COSY  CORNER  SERIES 

It  is  the  intention  of  the  publishers  that  this  series  shall 
contain  only  the  very  highest  and  purest  literature,  — 
stories  that  shall  not  only  appeal  to  the  children  them- 
selves, but  be  appreciated  by  all  those  who  feel  with 
them  in  their  joys  and  sorrows. 

The  numerous  illustrations  in  each  book  are  by  well- 
known  artists,  and  each  volume  has  a  separate  attract- 
ive cover  design. 

Each  1  vol.,  16mo,  cloth $0.50 

By  ANNIE  FELLOWS  JOHNSTON 

THE  LITTLE   COLONEL      (Trade  Mark.) 

The  scene  of  this  story  is  laid  in  Kentucky.  Ita  hero- 
ine is  a  small  girl,  who  is  known  as  the  Little  Colonel, 
on  account  of  her  fancied  resemblance  to  an  old-school 
Southern  gentleman,  whose  fine  estate  and  old  family 
are  famous  in  the  region. 

THE  GIANT  SCISSORS 

This  is  the  story  of  Joyce  and  of  her  adventuR.fi  in 
France.  Joyce  is  a  great  friend  of  the  Little  Colonel, 
and  in  later  volumes  shares  with  her  the  delightful  ex- 
periences of  the  "  House  Party  "  and  the  "  Holidays." 

TWO  LITTLE  KNIGHTS  OF  KENTUCKY 

Who  Were  the  Little  Colonel's  Neighbors. 

In  this  volume  the  Little  Colonel  returns  to  us  like  an 
old  friend,  but  with  added  grace  and  charm.  She  is  not, 
however,  the  central  figure  of  the  story,  that  place  being 
taken  by  the  "  two  little  knights." 

MILDRED'S  INHERITANCE 

A  delightful  little  story  of  a  lonely  English  girl  who 
comes  to  America  and  is  befriended  by  a  sympathetic 
American  family  who  are  attracted  by  her  beautiful 
speaking  voice.  By  means  of  this  one  gift  she  is  en- 
abled to  help  a  school-girl  who  has  temporarily  lost  the 
use  of  her  eyes,  and  thus  finally  her  life  becomes  a  busy, 
happy  one. 
A— 11 


Z.  C.  PAGE  &>  COMPANY'S 


By  ANNIE  FELLOWS  JOHNSTON  (Continued) 

CICELY  AND  OTHER  STORIES  FOR  GIRLS 

The  readers  of  Mrs.  Johnston's  charming  juveniles 
will  be  glad  to  learn  of  the  issue  of  this  volume  for  young 
people. 

AUNT  'LIZAVS  HERO  AND  OTHER  STORIES 

A  collection  of  six  bright  little  stories,  which  will  appeal 
to  all  boys  and  most  girls. 

BIG  BROTHER 

A  story  of  two  boyj.  The  devotion  and  care  of  Stephen, 
himself  a  small  boy,  for  his  baby  brother,  is  the  theme  of 
the  simple  tale. 

OLE  MAMMY'S  TORMENT 

"  Ole  Mammy's  Torment "  has  been  fitly  called  "  a 
classic  of  Southern  life."  It  relates  the  haps  and  mis- 
haps of  a  small  negro  lad,  and  tells  how  he  was  led  by 
love  and  kindness  to  a  knowledge  of  the  right. 

THE  STORY  OF  DAGO 

In  this  story  Mrs.  Johnston  relates  the  story  of  Dago, 
a  pet  monkey,  owned  jointly  by  two  brothers.  Dago 
tells  his  own  story,  and  the  account  of  his  haps  and  mis- 
haps  is  both  interesting  and  amusing. 

THE  QUILT  THAT  JACK  BUJLT 

A  pleasant  littler  story  of  a  boy's  labor  of  love,  and  how 
it  changed  the  course  of  his  life  many  years  after  it  was 
accomplished 

FLIP'S  ISLANDS  OF  PROVIDENCE 

A  story  of  a  boy's  life  battle,  his  early  defeat,  and  his 
final  triumph,  well  worth  the  reading. 
A  — 12 


BOOKS  FOR    YOUNG  PEOPLE 


By  EDITH  ROBINSON 
A  LITTLE  PURITAN'S  FIRST  CHRISTMAS 

A  story  of  Colonial  times  in  Boston,  telling  how  Christ- 
mas was  invented  by  Betty  Sewall,  a  typical  child  of  the 
Puritans,  aided  by  her  brother  Sam. 

A  LITTLE  DAUGHTER  OF  LIBERTY 

The  author  introduces  this  story  as  follows: 
"  One  ride  is  memorable  in  the  early  history  of  the 
American  Revolution,  the  well-known  ride  of  Paul 
Revere.  Equally  deserving  of  commendation  is  another 
ride,  —  the  ride  of  Anthony  Severn,  —  which  was  no  less 
historic  in  its  action  or  memorable  in  its  consequences." 

A  LOYAL  LITTLE  MAID 

A  delightful  and  interesting  story  of  Revolutionary 
days,  in  which  the  child  heroine,  Betsey  Schuyler,  renders 
important  services  to  George  Washington. 

A  LITTLE  PURITAN  REBEL 

This  is  an  historical  tale  of  a  real  girl,  during  the  time 
when  the  gallant  Sir  Harry  Vane  was  governor  of  I'taesa- 
chusetts. 

A  LITTLE  PURITAN  PIONEER 

The  scene  of  this  story  is  laid  in  the  Puritan  settlement 
at  Charlestown. 

A  LITTLE  PURITAN  BOUND  GIRL 

A  story  of  Boston  in  Puritan  days,  which  is  of  great 
interest  to  youthful  readers. 

A  LITTLE  PURITAN  CAVALIER 

The  story  of  a  "  Little  Puritan  Cavalier  "  who  tried 
with  all  his  boyish  enthusiasm  to  emulate  the  spirit  and 
ideals  of  the  dead  Crusaders. 

A  PURITAN  KNIGHT  ERRANT 

The  story  tells  of  a  young  lad  in  Colonial  times  who 
endeavored  to  carry  out  the  high  ideals  of  the  knight* 
of  olden  days. 

a— 13  n 


Z.  C.  PAGE  &>  COMPANY'S 


By  OUIDA  (Louise  de  la  Ramee) 

A  DOG  OF  FLANDERS 

A  Christmas  Story 

Too  well  and  favorably  known  to  require  description. 

THE  NURNBERG  STOVE 

This  beautiful  story  has  never  before  been  published 
at  a  popular  price. 

By  FRANCES  MARGARET  FOX 

THE  LITTLE  GIANT'S  NEIGHBOURS 

A  charming  nature  story  of  a  "  little  giant  "  whose 
neighbors  were  the  creatures  of  the  field  and  garden. 

FARMER  BROWN  AND  THE  BIRDS 

A  little  story  which  teaches  children  that  the  birds  are 
man's  best  friends. 

BETTY  OF  OLD  MACKINAW 

A  charming  story  of  child  life. 

BROTHER  BILLY 

The  story  of  Betty's  brother,  and  some  further  adven- 
tures of  Betty  herself. 

MOTHER  NATURE'S  LITTLE  ONES 

Curious  little  sketches  d  scribing  the  early  lifetime,  or 
"  childhood,"  of  the  little  creatures  out-of-doors. 

HOW    CHRISTMAS    CAME    TO    THE    MUL- 
VANEYS 

A  bright,  lifelike  little  story  of  a  family  of  poor  children, 
with  an  unlimited  capacity  for  fun  and  mischief. 

THE  COUNTRY  CHRISTMAS 

Miss  Fox  has  vividly  described  the  happy  surprises  that 
made  the  occasion  so  memorable  to  the  Mulvaneys,  and 
the  funny  things  the  children  did  in  their  new  environ- 
ment. 
A— 14 


BOOKS  FOR    YOUNG  PEOPLE 


By  MISS  MULOCK 

THE  LITTLE  LAME  PRINCE 

A  delightful  story  of  a  little  boy  who  has  many  ad- 
ventures by  means  of  the  magic  gifts  of  his  fairy  god- 
mother. 

ADVENTURES  OF  A  BROWNIE 

The  story  of  a  household  elf  who  torments  the  cook 
and  gardener,  but  is  a  constant  joy  and  delight  to  the 
children  who  love  and  trust  him. 

HIS  LITTLE  MOTHER 

Miss  Mulock's  short  stories  for  children  are  a  constant 
source  of  delight  to  them,  and  "  His  Little  Mother,"  in 
this  new  and  attractive  dress,  will  be  welcomed  by  hosts 
of  youthful  readers. 

LITTLE  SUNSHINE'S  HOLIDAY 

An  attractive  story  of  a  summer  outing.  "  Little  Sun- 
shine ""  is  another  of  those  beautiful  child-characters  for 
which  Miss  Mulock  is  so  justly  famous. 

By  MARSHALL  SAUNDERS 

FOR  HIS  COUNTRY 

A  sweet  and  graceful  story  of  a  little  boy  who  loved 
his  country;  written  with  that  charm  which  has  endeared 
Miss  Saunders  to  hosts  of  readers. 

NITA,  THE  STORY  OF  AN  IRISH  SETTER 

In  this  touching  little  book,  Miss  Saunders  shows  how 
dear  to  her  heart  are  all  of  God's  dumb  creatures. 

ALPATOK,  THE  STORY  OF  AN  ESKIMO  DOG 

Alpatok,  an  Eskimo  dog  from  the  far  north,  was  stolen 
from  his  master  and  left  to  starve  in  a  strange  city,  but 
was  befriended  and  cared  for,  until  he  was  able  to  return 
to  his  owner. 
A  — 15 


L.  C.  PAGE  &>  COMPANY'S 


By  WILL  ALLEN  DROMGOOLE 

THE  FARRIER'S  DOG  AND  HIS  FELLOW 

This  story,  written  by  the  gifted  young  Southern 
woman,  will  appeal  to  all  that  is  best  in  the  natures  of 
the  many  admirers  of  her  graceful  and  piquant  style. 

THE  FORTUNES  OF  THE  FELLOW 

Those  who  read  and  enjoyed  the  pathos  and  charm 
of  "  The  Farrier's  Dog  and  His  Fellow  "  will  welcome 
the  further  account  of  the  adventures  of  Baydaw  and 
the  Fellow  at  the  home  of  the  kindly  smith. 

THE  BEST  OF  FRIENDS 

This  continues  the  experiences  of  the  Farrier's  dog 
and  his  Fellow,  written  in  Mr.  Dromgoole's  well-known 
charming  style. 

DOWN  IN  DIXIE 

A  fascinating  story  for  boys  and  girls,  of  a  family  of 
Alabama  children  who  move  to  Florida  and  grow  up  in 
the  South. 


By  MARIAN  W.  WILDMAN 

LOYALTY  ISLAND 

An  account  of  the  adventures  of  four  children  and 
their  pet  dog  on  an  island,  and  how  they  cleared  their 
brother  from  the  suspicion  of  dishonesty. 

THEODORE  AND  THEODORA 

This  is  a  story  of  the  exploits  and  mishaps  of  two  mis- 
chievous  twins,    and    continues  the   adventures   of  the 
interesting  group  of  children  in  "  Loyalty  Island." 
A— 16 


BOOKS  FOR    YOUNG  PEOPLE 


By  CHARLES  G.  D.  ROBERTS 

THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  YACHT  DIDO 

The  story  of  two  boys  who  turned  their  yacht  into  a 
fishing  boat  to  earn  money. 

THE  YOUNG  ACADLAN 

The  story  of  a  young  lad  of  Acadia  who  rescued  a  little 
English  girl  from  the  hands  of  savages. 

THE  LORD  OF  THE  AIR 

The  Story  of  the  Eagle. 

THE  KING  OF  THE  MAMOZEKEL 

The  Story  of  the  Moose. 

THE  WATCHERS  OF  THE  CAMP-FIRE 

The  Story  of  the  Panther. 

THE  HAUNTER  OF  THE  PINE  GLOOM 

The  Story  of  the  Lynx. 

THE  RETURN  TO  THE  TRAILS 

The  Story  of  the  Bear. 

THE  LITTLE  PEOPLE  OF  THE  SYCAMORE 

The  Story  of  the  Raccoon. 

By  JULIANA  HORATIO  EWING 

STORY  OF  A  SHORT  LD7E 

This  beautiful  and  pathetic  story  will  never  grow  old. 
It  is  a  part  of  the  world's  literature,  and  will  never  die. 

JACKANAPES 

A  new  edition,  with  new  illustrations,  of  this  exquisite 
and  touching  story,  dear  alike  to  young  and  old. 

A  GREAT  EMERGENCY 

A  bright  little  story  of  a  happy,  mischievous  family 
of  children. 
A- 17 


THE  LIBRARY  OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF 

NORTH  CAROLINA 

AT  CHAPEL  HILL 


PRESENTED  BY 

Elizabeth  Preston  Ward 

in  memory  of 
Jean  Versfelt  Preston 

ybrary  Science  Libras 

HAY  11  2006 


